The Chair of Cleveland Police Authority says there’s now ‘crystal clear evidence—at national and local level’ that one of the Coalition Government partners does not support plans to scrap police authorities and put control of policing under the control of single Police Commissioners.
Councillor Dave McLuckie has highlighted a decision taken at the Liberal Democrats Spring Conference which argued for ‘Giving local people a direct say in crime and policing through the empowering of Police Authorities…’
Meanwhile a motion calling on local MPs to oppose the ‘ confusing, conflicting and costly proposals’ for commissioners has been passed by Stockton Council, with support from Liberal Democrat members.
Said Councillor McLuckie “Clearly the claim from the Policing Minister Nick Herbert that the Coalition has a ‘clear mandate’ to force through their plans for spending millions on creating highly-paid Commissioners, together with Police and Crime Panels, is totally exposed through the motion taken at the Liberal Democrats’ Spring Conference.
“The motion approved at the conference, setting out proposals for tackling youth crime, made no reference at all to commissioners but was crystal clear in calling for empowering Police Authorities—and, of course, that was the position set out in the party’s election manifesto which proposed giving ‘local people a real say over their police force through the direct election of police authorities’ adding that they would still be able to co-opt extra members in order to ensure diversity, experience and expertise.
“It went on to argue that authorities should be given ‘far more power …including the right to sack and appoint the Chief Constable, set local policing priorities, and agree and determine budgets.’
“It is clear that the Liberal Democrat Party at national level still regard strengthened police authorities as the right way forward and it is equally clear that many local members feel the same—as illustrated by the decision of party members to support the recent motion approved at Stockton Council expressing objections to the introduction of commissioners at the same time as forces and authorities are facing reductions of 20 per or more in Government funding—and cuts are being forced in officer numbers.
“And yet we see the Policing Minister continuing to argue that the Government has a clear mandate from the electorate to press ahead with spending £50million on the first round of elections for Commissioners, paying them £122,000 a year and incurring further costs by having to create two support structures—one for the commissioner and the other for the police and crime panel.
“We should be clear that only one party proposed creating this system at the election—that one of the Coalition partners was totally opposed to the idea…and, it would seem, still takes that view.
“It really is time that Nick Herbert and the Home Secretary Theresa May recognised that this a proposal does not have a mandate—either from the public or their Coalition partners—and that there can be justification, especially in the current climate, for wasting many millions on trying to force it through when all available resources should be directed to protecting front-line policing.”