Plans to strengthen joint working in dealing with firearms incidents and roads policing have been agreed by the Cleveland and Durham Police Authorities. Today both authorities and forces stressed that the proposals would involve a process of ‘evolution rather than revolution’ and were the result of a thorough Home Office-backed study of various options for co-operation.
As an initial step the routine sharing of resources for dealing with firearms incidents will be introduced from April next year. The cross-border deployment of armed officers will be able to take place and there will be a shared standby team able to be called upon in the event of protracted incidents.
This first phase builds on the joint firearms training arrangements between the two forces which has been operating since the opening of the Police Tactical Training Centre at Urlay Nook in 2001.
The next stage of development under consideration would involve combined firearms and roads policing teams, operating across two sites, one in Cleveland and one in Durham, with a single line management structure. If agreed, this might be achievable as early as Autumn 2010.
Explained Cleveland Police Authority Chair Councillor Dave McLuckie “The Government has made it clear that it wants to see growing collaboration between forces, especially in providing key protective services.
“Initially the project between ourselves and Durham, which has been part funded by the Home Office, looked at the possibility of providing a joint firearms operation, but was then extended to include roads policing because of the obvious close links.
“The proposals we have both agreed on are the result of a great deal of work by the joint project team and we believe they provide a sensible way forward in providing high-quality and cost effective services in these very important areas of policing.”
Peter Thompson, Chair of Durham Police Authority said “There is a growing national expectation that forces will collaborate with each other, particularly within the Protective Services arena and we welcome plans to strengthen the joint working in dealing with road policing and firearms incidents.
“There has been some extensive work undertaken by officers of both Durham and Cleveland and we are at a stage now where firm proposals have been put together for consideration by the two police authorities, it is a new and exciting era which will lay the foundations for future expansion and open up avenues for both forces and not only create further opportunities for collaboration in the specialist roads policing functions but also in other areas.”
In a joint statement Chief Constables Sean Price of Cleveland and Jon Stoddart of Durham said “We are delighted that the two forces and Authorities have agreed to pursue joint working in these vital specialist areas and are confident that this development will help us in achieving our shared aim of providing efficient, top quality services in support of the needs of our combined communities.”
14-12-09