RICHARD KEMP RESPONDS TO POLICING CONSULTATION PAPER

 

Responding to the Home Office’s consultation paper “Policing in the 21st Century” published today, Cllr Richard Kemp, Vice Chair of the Local Government Association, said:

“People quite rightly want a say on what is being done to combat crime and disorder issues affecting their every day lives. The current situation cannot continue.  Shifting police accountability to the public and away from Whitehall is something that local government has long been campaigning for.  

“However, this paper does not delve deep enough into the government’s proposal of directly elected individuals. In difficult financial circumstances, we have to ask if this is the right time to change structures through additional elections, which could cost the same as 700 police officers.  

“If the police are to be truly held to account at local level, then councils must be at the heart of any new system. Councils already have democratically elected councillors overseeing community safety, each of whom are scrutinised and held to account by that authority.

“The reintegration of police oversight into council structures is not only the most cost effective solution, the measure would require minimal legislative changes, drive out duplicate spending and deliver efficiency savings.” 

Ends

Note to editors: 

A full copy of the LGA’s proposal on police accountability is available at http://www.local.gov.uk

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