13 June 2008
Reforms to make the police more accountable to their communities have been proposed by the Local Government Association.
In a new report, Answering to you, published on June 9, the LGA says giving local people more say over how their force is run would inspire greater confidence in the police.
The report sets out 12 main proposals for making police more answerable locally. Among them is the merger of police authorities and local authorities so that police are held to account through councils.
If residents believe that the police are 'anchored' in their local area and answerable to local people and councillors, they will be more willing to pass on information and support officers in their work, the LGA says. This could consequently help cut crime and the fear of crime.
The report proposes the introduction of community safety charters between a local authority and its residents, against which the performance of the police could be measured.
The report also wants local police budgets to be brought under council control.
It highlights the accumulation of powers in the hands of the home secretary. These should be greatly reduced in matters of local policing, it says.
LGA chair Sir Simon Milton said: 'Every service delivered to people in their local area should be directly accountable to residents through their locally elected council.
'As the power of police authorities has waned, connections between the police and the people they serve have weakened. Without reform there is a risk that the lack of confidence felt by local people in the police will increase, making it more difficult for officers to fight crime, cut crime and cut the fear of crime.'
PFjun2008
