Police Authorities Of Wales

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27 July 2010 - Police Authorities of Wales Press Release on Coalition Government’s proposals for Directly Elected Commissioners.

 

Delyth Humfryes – Chair of Police Authorities of Wales has commented:

 

The coalition government has published its green consultation paper on policing reform, ‘Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting the Police and the People’.

 

As the Chair of Police Authorities of Wales, I can confirm that we have considered proposals for Directly Elected Commissioners and have significant concerns about the model of policing governance being pursued by the coalition government. It is not one that PAW would chose and we will continue to express our concerns in this respect. However, we recognise the mandate and the political will of the coalition government to influence and to shape the outcome of changes to police governance and accountability and other strategic issues.

 

Police Authorities of Wales will continue to protect the public’s interest and raise some of our concerns which include:

 

  • The amount of checks and balances that need to be put in place to ensure a Directly Elected Commissioner’s accountability and scrutiny of actions / outcomes.
  • Ensuring that the proposed ‘Police and Crime Panel’ will have enough powers not just to advise but also to adequately challenge a commissioner.
  • We have further concerns regarding one individual setting the policing budget and issuing the police precept for a number of Local Authorities.
  • PAW would not like to see the Welsh collaboration programme undermined by Commissioners concentrating only on the local.
  • The cost of implementing Commissioners – the Conservative led Local Government Association estimated the elections would cost £50m - the cost of 700 police officers. (quote Guardian 27.07.10)
  • The implementation of the new arrangements will take the focus away from the business of reducing crime and from the top priority of reducing costs and eliminating bureaucracy and inefficiency.
  • Ultimately we question whether Commissioners will improve or actually diminish accountability?

 

PAW will be carefully considering the full proposals contained within the government’s consultation paper and will submit a response outlining the Welsh perspective. This will be available on our website.

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