Barry LovedayPortsmouth University

England and Wales- an end to amalgamation debate for some time to come;

Unlike Scotland where the amalgamation issue continues?;

Currently the emphasis is now placed on collaboration between police forces;

This is making considerable progress – regionalisation through the back door?

New Localism – a growing consensus that centrally run ‘local’ services need to be returned to local communities;

A range of Think –Tanks have demonstrated a common assessment of the need for change-

IPPR, NLGN, Policy Exchange, Reform -each have a shared view of local accountability mechanisms and direct election.

Elected Mayors and /or elected police commissioners;

Close to having all elected police authorities;

David Blunkett Review of police authorities; MPS and Boris Johnson – Simon Jenkins

view; All political parties committed to reform at

local level;

Flanagan Review 2008 and commitment to reform;

Resilience and workforce modernisation; Neighbourhood Policing – and Neighbourhood

Management; Local CDRPs and local police service delivery; All local authorities to set up Community

Safety Committees; Municipal policing – the new paradigm for

police services?

Ending concept of omni-competent police forces;

Disaggregation and creation of national police units – but mindful of SOCA experience;

These would deal with Level 2+3 crime; Allow for the development of local policing

to confront Level 1 crime + ASB;

Funding challenges- these are likely to grow and will impact on all public services;

Policing is expensive and may encourage search for alternative provision through the extended police family concept;

Policy Exchange research ‘Fitting the Bill’ 2007- argues for devolved budgets to local BCU commanders;

This would change the profile of local policing

Devolved budgets would encourage this development;

Considerable evidence that funding voluntary bodies brings big dividends and preferable to

expanding local service bureaucracies; Private Sector- PFI example Reliance and

Sussex Police; Workforce Modernisation – results from

current sites very positive; Mixed Economy Teams provide value.

Ironically financial stringency could offer new opportunities and encourage greater entrepreneurial activity;

This premised on delegated budgets to local commanders;

Implementation of Mixed Economy Teams; Local Authority engagement- neighbourhood

wardens et al- buying in to local service delivery to reduce abstraction rates.

Much greater private sector engagement; Significant change in central-local

responsibility for policing; Direct elections and local accountability; Significant reform of public sector pay and

conditions- note Ian Blair’s comments at PERF Washington DC 2009;

Policing styles and the ‘war on terrorism’.