Staffordshire’s police and crime commissioner Ben Adams has warned that a major shake-up of policing could mean “the end of Staffordshire Police”.
The government announced earlier this year that it is looking at merging police forces in England and Wales, which could see the number reduced from 43 to as few as 12.
Ministers say the proposed mergers would give taxpayers better value for money, while also creating a less fragmented system.
Members of Staffordshire’s police, fire and crime panel asked Mr Adams what the plans could mean for policing in the county.
He said he supported efforts to find efficiencies at regional or national level, but said that had to be matched with local delivery and accountability.
Mr Adams also suggested a “super force” covering a much wider area could lead to resources being pulled away from quieter, rural parts of Staffordshire and towards crime hotspots in bigger cities.
He urged councils in Staffordshire to take part in the national conversation around the proposals. Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe is heading the independent review of police force structures.
Mr Adams’ own role is already set to be abolished and replaced with a police, fire and crime board by 2028.
He said
“You don’t want, as a police, fire and crime board, in a couple of years’ time, to have no real influence on policing in your locality.
“You can’t rely on it being done successfully from Derby or Coventry when we’re talking about Leek and South Staffs. They’re different places with different needs.”
He added
“This is a big conversation that we’re going to have over the next few years. If it goes the way I expect it will be the end of Staffordshire Police, after a history of really high achievement.
“So we have to protect what works. Yes, let’s take advantage of efficiencies, let’s not buy things 43 times, but let’s not forget that local communities really matter. They need to see their officers, they need to know that they’re dealing with their priorities. And if they’re not there needs to be some means of holding them to account.”
There are not yet any specific proposals for mergers between Staffordshire Police and neighbouring forces such as West Mercia or Derbyshire.
With around 2,000 officers, Staffordshire Police is smaller than average compared with other territorial forces in England and Wales.
Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police each have around 8,000 officers, while the Metropolitan Police has around 35,000.
Mr Adams suggested a force approaching the size of the Met would be both inefficient and less responsive to local needs.
He said
“The poorest performing police force in the country, by some margin, is the biggest. The Met is not a blueprint for policing in this country.
“For me the warning is, don’t forget the local. You need not only local delivery but local accountability. At the moment we have high visibility in the very rural areas of Staffordshire, but we balance that with where the demand is higher.
“With a larger force, the risk is that there will always be something more serious, 10 or 20 miles down the road. Those people who think their council tax is primarily for visibility and reassurance are going to be very disappointed.”
Recommendations from Lord Hogan-Howe’s review are due to be given to the Home Secretary by the summer.
