Empowerment and accountability in local policing

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Contents

Summary


Research conducted by ICM in 2005 demonstrated that 57% of the public feel they have no influence over the police and little say in decisions about policing (1).  In recent years, politicians have attempted to redress the issue: David Cameron announced his support in spring 2007 for elected police commissioners (2); in Spring 2008 Sir Ronnie Flannagan’s Policing Review considered the pros and cons of various options in stronger local accountability (3); and most recently, the Home Office has put forward proposals in its Policing White paper to introduce directly elected Crime and Policing Representatives (4). 

Any change in accountability relating to crime is likely to impact local democracy where responsibility for local crime and policing is already blurred through partnerships in neighbourhood policing and community safety.


Impacts

  • Politicisation of policing: would having directly elected representatives conflict with operational judgement or with the priorities of local government and agencies?
  • Local Democracy: Turn out for local elections is already low, would the public be keen to have another local election, or could it also affect the turn out of local elections.
  • The role of Local Authorities: one option considered by Sir Ronnie Flannagan was to strengthen the role of Local Authorities either by drawing back police authority functions into local authorities or making local authorities fully responsible for community safety.
  • The role of local councillors: possible confusion over what their role is and what responsibility they have; would they (or what proportion should) be invited to sit on police authorities?


Relevance

  • Local councillors and those involved with police authorities: alterations in the levels of influence and accountability.
  • Neighbourhood Police Team: who will they be answerable too?


Innovations

References

(1) Wood, D; MacAlister D, (2005) Accountable – responsive and Independt on the Need for Balance in Police Governance. International Journal of Police Science and Management, Vol 7 No 3, 2005 pp.197-207.

(2) Temko, N., (2007) Tory plan to put police under local control, The Guardian  http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/apr/01/conservatives.ukcrime  

(3) Sir Ronnie Flannagan Review of Policing
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform/Review_of_policing_final_report/flanagan-final-report  

(4) Home Office Green Paper From the Neighbourhood to the National: policing our communities together
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-reform/policegp/  





Related Links

Louise Casey Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime Review
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/crime.aspx  

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