Plans to merge police forces together could threaten public safety, police and crime commissioner warns
An independent review into the proposed police reforms is expected to begin in the summer.
Plans to merge police forces together could be a threat to public safety, the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has warned.
Marc Jones (Independent) told members of the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel that the government’s proposal to merge the current 43 police forces down to about 12 would ‘not make Lincolnshire better’.
Under the plans, this could mean that Lincolnshire Police would merge with neighbouring forces such as Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire Police.
Mr Jones said: “I am really worried that if we get an East Midlands police force, that does not keep the people of Spalding or Skegness, or Horncastle or Gainsborough safer.
“Your chief constable sits in Nottingham, Leicester or Derby, has got a focus on serious and organised crime, has got a third of the country’s prisoners living in the East Midlands, has got an East Midlands Airport, the highest amount of commercial freight coming through.
“That does not make Lincolnshire better and I’m concerned that that still remains a threat to our safety.”
The government has published a White Paper with a series of proposed police reforms.
These include tougher reponse targets for neighbourhood police officers, the development of a National Police Service and investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The government said this would free up time and resources for local police forces and make them efficient.
Mr Jones said that while there were some potentially positive ideas within that plan.
An independent review into the proposed police reforms is expected to begin in the summer.