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Alan Fry, Chief Executive of the Police Authority, sets out some of the details of the Police Reform proposals, and how it will effect South Wales:

 

"At the end of July, Home Secretary Theresa May set out the Coalition Government’s proposals for reforming the police service.  She said the plans were “the most radical change to policing in 50 years”.  That is something that cannot be denied.

 

Central to the reforms is the abolition of Police Authorities, to be replaced by one directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for each Force in Wales and England. 

 

Police Authorities have been around in one form or another for many years.  Since 1995 they have been independent bodies, made up of local people, who basically police the police.  South Wales Police Authority is made up of 19 people – ten Councillors and nine Independent people.  Councillors are selected from each of the seven local authority areas, based on the votes cast at council elections to make certain the Police Authority represents the political make up of South Wales.  Independents are appointed for their skills, experience and ability to represent our diverse communities.

 

One reason given by the Home Secretary for the proposed changes is that Police Authorities are invisible and ineffective.  I will not deny that Police Authorities across the country can be fairly invisible, and more work should be carried out to raise their profiles in the communities.  However, I would certainly argue against Police Authorities being ineffective. 

 

Crime levels are down nationally.  Within South Wales alone, there were nearly 14,000 fewer crimes in 2009-10 when compared with the previous year.  One of the reasons for this is the tough targets set by the Police Authority, following consultation with our communities.  In addition, the Police Authority has been central in making efficiency savings within the police budget.  In South Wales, these savings amount to a projected £35million between 2000 and 2011-12.

 

This to me does not seem a good enough reason to scrap the already existing Police Authority structure, but rather we should be looking to strengthen and build upon it.

 

The Coalition Government does, however, seem determined to push through the idea of directly elected Commissioners for policing.  This plan has some serious drawbacks that must be taken into account before any changes are brought in.

 

Our country is in the midst of a financial crisis.  The police service is facing massive cuts to its budget over the next few years, which could potentially lead to cuts in police numbers.  The Local Government Association has estimated that the costs for the elections of the Commissioners could be £50million.  Who would foot the bill for these elections?  Would the police be expected to pay, potentially at the cost of frontline policing? 

 

Then there is the question of the elections themselves.  Within Wales, we already have five tiers of elections.  Public turnout rates for these are generally low.  If the proposal is introduced, this could result in candidates being elected on single issues or, more worryingly, from extremist parties.

 

There is also the danger of a Commissioner focusing on short-term populist measures and priorities, without having a proper regard for the ‘bigger picture’.  The four Police Authorities in Wales, together with their Chief Constables are acknowledged leaders in collaboration and tackling extremism and serious and organised crime.  These are often ‘hidden’ services to the electorate.  It would be hugely disappointing if this productive and effective work was put into jeopardy.

 

Another key issue is politics.  British Policing is admired across the world because it is impartial and non-political.  While Police Authorities consist of Councillors from different political parties, the balance is there to ensure that politics is kept well and truly out of policing, which helps to maintain the operational independence of the Chief Constable.  A directly elected Commissioner will, most likely, be from a political party, which will lead to politics being placed at the heart of policing.

 

Commissioners, it is proposed, will be held to account by a Police and Crime Panel, made up of Councillors and Independent people.  This sounds suspiciously like the current structure of the Police Authority, but with a change of name.  As a result, it is difficult to see where any financial savings can be found from the current set up.  In addition, there is the question of the amount of pay the Commissioner will receive for their role.  Details of this, according to the Home Secretary, will follow at a later date.  However, surely this is a critical point.  The Commissioner’s role will be very powerful, and as such will require a suitable remuneration – to be paid for from within the police budget.

 

There is also the question of the responsibilities of the Commissioner.  This one person will be responsible for setting the policing precept element of council tax.  The Police and Crime Panel would, however, have the power to call a referendum should they disagree with the amount set by the Commissioner.  So yet another election, and more costs.  This proposal has been labelled “bonkers” by some, and I find it hard to disagree.  No details have been provided as to who will fund any referendum and the cash flow problems that will result from the delay in setting the precept not just to the police budget, but also those of our collecting local councils. 

 

South Wales Police Authority is certainly not opposed to change, and welcome any proposals which will lead to an increase in public accountability of the police service.  However, we want to ensure that any changes to the current system that are brought in are affordable and will genuinely result in service improvements for the public."