Barry Loveday Portsmouth 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’ 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’.