PFCC Letter to Lord Hogan-Howe on proposed reforms to policing

PFCC Roger Hirst has now written to Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe, who is leading the Independent Review of Police Force Structures.

The letter reads:

Dear Bernard,

Following my letter in June providing some broader points on your independent review of police force structures after completing the previously circulated questionnaire, I decided to commission an Essex-wide survey to gauge public opinion on the merger plan.

The survey was launched on the 10th of June and closed on the 22nd of July. Over 1,700 Essex residents responded to it. Every part of the county participated, providing a good cross-section of opinion. 

I then tasked an independent analyst to compile a report, which is attached to this letter, to best present the findings in a balanced and objective way.

These are the headline findings:

• 69% oppose (50% strongly oppose and 19% oppose) the proposal to merge police forces into larger regional constabularies.

• 79% of respondents saw “police officers will lose local knowledge and personal connection with the communities they serve” to be a potential risk of merging forces.

• 85% agree (67% strongly agree and 18% agree) that “local policing should remain locally led to ensure police officers understand and focus on community needs”, with 9% disagreeing with this statement.

• 74% of respondents disagree (29% disagree and 45% strongly disagree) that “policing will become more visible if police forces merge”, with only 8% agreeing with this statement.

A clear verdict can be drawn from the responses to the survey. There is deep public concern and opposition in Essex to the suggestion that the existing local approach to policing could be taken over by a larger regional entity. As you know, policing relies on public consent, and more importantly their confidence and trust. The risk of the merger plan is that the fundamental link between policing and the public could be undermined or lost altogether.

I appreciate that you embarked on the review with the intention to deliver a set of independent recommendations on how to establish a smaller number of larger forces across England and Wales. 

The Government, following the publication of the policy roadmap in the Police Reform White Paper, has set the parameters you are required to operate within.

My ask is that you consider carefully the survey findings. I know that you have been clear that the review will put forward evidence-based recommendations. 

The survey gives you a snapshot of public opinion in one part of England, but I suspect the level of opposition found in Essex is replicated in other parts of the country. 

Several of my colleagues have recently conducted surveys that have shown similar significant public opposition. In principle, I remain supportive of the ambition to improve the consistency, performance and
structure of policing in every part of the country. The objective must be to replicate the outcomes achieved by high performing forces like Essex Police. 

There is a risk that current momentum fighting all forms of anti-social behaviour and crime will be lost. Without the right funding and resources, any merger could distract from the core mission and hold back or even see a decline in performance. Surge capacity to meet demand can, of course, be brigaded upwards from strong local forces.

I recognise the task you are working to deliver is by no means straightforward and highly complex. As public opposition grows, it will be even harder to put forward recommendations that have any prospect of achieving some form of consensus or support. Local policing is
something the public feel strongly about. Breaking the link between the public and their local officers is too high a price to pay simply to streamline policing management, and could have very serious consequences. 

It could hamper trust in those charged with keeping people safe for
decades to come, and see a deterioration in confidence and an increase in crime.

As an elected official, I have a democratic obligation to represent the interests of residents in Essex. Given the strength of opinion shared by the survey respondents, I must insist that you take the evidence of public trust and confidence to heart. 

The Government must now reconsider its police reform agenda. It should favour a far more local approach that is complemented by a national framework that better phases in structural reforms, best practice
on standards and performance, and works to strengthen confidence in policing.

Yours sincerely,
Roger Hirst MBE
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex

You can read the final report into the PFCC Essex Survey on proposed reforms to policing here.