PCCs in line of fire following Stevens’ report

25 Nov 13
A Labour government would implement the majority of the recommendations in today’s report from the Independent Police Commission, Ed Miliband confirmed today

The Labour leader said the report was the ‘most serious and comprehensive look at policing in at least half a century’. He added: ‘Be in no doubt, this report will not gather dust on the shelf’.

The commission, led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens, recommended the abolition of police and crime commissioners, the merger of some of the 43 forces in England and Wales and the creation of chartered status for police officers.

The 225-page report was commissioned by Labour two years ago and includes 37 recommendations. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she would consult on the commission’s findings and set out the details in Labour’s manifesto for the 2015 general election.

Cooper said that Labour would also review the ‘flawed’ system of PCCs. ‘The question now is not whether to reform but how to reform,’ she said.

She added that a Labour government would press for voluntary force mergers. However, she did rule out the creation of a national police force.

‘We will not support a national force as we believe that would be too large, too centralised and the wrong approach,’ she said.

The system of PCCs, created a year ago, was heavily criticised as ‘riddled with failings’ in the commission’s report. It said there were ‘fatal systemic flaws’ and the model should be discontinued at the end of the term of office of the 41 serving PCCs.

Instead, the report recommends devolving greater powers to lower-tier local authorities. It suggests that internal force boundaries should be co-terminus with the lowest relevant tier of local government.

It goes on to suggest that town halls be given a say in the appointment of police commanders; authorities are enabled to keep some of the police precept; and councils are given the power to set priorities for neighbourhood policing.

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