Motion opposing police force mergers to be debated by Cumberland councillors

Cumberland Council is set to debate a motion opposing plans to merge England’s 43 police forces into a smaller number of regional entities at a meeting next week.

The motion will be proposed at the Civic Centre on 13th January.

The motion highlights concerns over the proposals being considered by the Home Secretary, which could see local police forces condensed into as few as 12 or 15 larger forces.

According to the motion, the council would note the importance of strong, visible, community-based policing and local accountability, as well as evidence demonstrating that local policing builds trust, improves crime prevention, and ensures responsiveness to community needs.

It also emphasises the existing coordination between police forces, such as joint procurement of vehicles, shared ICT systems, and collaborative cross-border operations to tackle issues like county lines drug dealing.

The motion calls for prioritising investment in modern technology, data-sharing improvements, and strengthening community-based policing rather than structural mergers.

If passed, the council will formally oppose the merger, calling on the Government to focus efforts on funding community policing teams, enhancing support for rural crime initiatives, establishing local police desks in community hubs, and upgrading technology and national vetting standards.

It will also include writing to the Home Secretary and local MPs to express these views.

This debate comes a decade after Scotland’s police forces were merged in 2013 to form Police Scotland, which now oversees policing across the country.