Yet again we have a senior chief constable calling for a single national police force (In England and Wales, where you live determines the kind of policing you get. That isn’t right, 18 November). Gavin Stephens rightly points out the logistical difficulties created by having 43 separate and independent police forces in England and Wales, but he fails to mention the other side of the coin: the increased danger in reduced accountability and the potential increases in the abuse of power by concentrating the considerable powers of chief constables into a single authority.
The importance of pluralism in police provision is occasionally seen in the identification of poor performance and the rectification of abuses by chief constables. To do this would be far more difficult in a single national force. My time on the West Yorkshire police authority when it was an integral part of the West Yorkshire metropolitan county council was salutary. Its policing of the 1984-85 miners’ strike was significantly different from the more confrontational actions in South Yorkshire. It is not possible to guarantee which policy would be followed by a single national force. I would not wish the latter style to become nationally dominant.
Michael Meadowcroft
Leeds
I agree that policing is a postcode lottery: 43 different models and a flawed funding strategy drives repetition, poor efficiency and public confusion. As the then Dorset police and crime commissioner (PCC), I attempted to merge Dorset and Devon & Cornwall police several years ago, potentially saving hundreds of millions of pounds. The merger had ministerial and Home Office approval, yet failed at the last hurdle. The problem is that 43 chief constables and 43 PCCs will resist it. A royal commission into policing is the only way to break the deadlock and improve service to the public.
Martyn Underhill
Former police and crime commissioner, Wimborne, Dorset
On the face of it, there’s a lot to agree with in Gavin Stephens’ article. Of course, policing “must work to regain the trust and confidence of our communities, give a voice to those who have not been well served by policing and learn from the very best global practice”. But I’d suggest that the “excellent use of facial recognition technology” is not universally welcome. Many of us regard it as an unwarranted intrusion on our lives that has been introduced by police services without debate and without suitable safeguards in place. Earning trust and confidence involves policing by informed consent, not the imposition of technology by stealth.
Alan Jewitt
Melksham, Wiltshire
Gavin Stephens is arguing the case for change that has been around for decades. There are about 170,000 police officers in the UK, not far removed from the armed forces or NHS Scotland. These organisations have numerous strategic and operational head offices, but nowhere near 43. As he points out, many crimes are similar in investigation. Reorganisation into a single, central strategic headquarters with five or six regional operations centres is about 30 years overdue. Forty-three chief constables have a strong vested interest to stop Mr Stephens. I wish him luck to do the right thing for the citizens they serve.
Kevin O’Rourke
Glenbrook, New South Wales, Australia