According to the Home Secretary’s latest announcement, the move to install publicly-elected police commissioners is in full swing – but against a backdrop of widespread cuts and with some reports estimating that these latest plans will cost £130m to implement in the first year alone, is it a short-sighted measure?
Research Zurich Municipal recently conducted with Ipsos Mori for our Tough Choices report suggests that, despite the government’s clear desire to make society ‘Big’, there is little public appetite for direct involvement when it comes to policing – fewer than a third (32%) of the people we asked were in favour of having the opportunity to vote for a strategic commissioner, while nearly half (45%) felt that the public may not know who would be the best person to be in charge of police strategy.
Whatever your opinion, the decision to make policing accountable and open to scrutiny at a local level carries a number of possible risks. For example, because some crimes are less visible to the public, there is a danger that they will be de-prioritised in favour of dealing with crimes that have a higher public profile. Equally, the cost savings being made elsewhere in policing – such as through job cuts – may be negated by the price (both in terms of finance and risks) of this latest measure.
As well as harsh cuts, the post-recession climate is bringing with it harsh realities, the need for re-prioritisation and major decision-making for the whole of the public sector. Policing is no exception. While many of the potential risks resulting from post-recession decisions may not emerge until much further down the track, they must nevertheless be considered today.
Naturally, given the severity of the recession, many organisations will be looking for quick fixes but it is vital that in doing so, longer-term objectives and needs aren’t forgotten or ignored.
Andrew Jepp is the director of public services at Zurich Municipal
