The first thing I want to say is that I support and value our police forces. I believefor too long they have been victims of political interference and political correctness and they have not been allowed to get on with the job. The worst thing that ever happened in policing was the advent of the Panda car in the 1960’s; the Police became cocooned in their cars and lost touch with the public, meaningful Communication ceased.
The Police have to engage again with our communities, and I don’t mean the phony type of Public relations engagement which is just a veneer, I mean real visible engagement, the hard grind of pounding the beat and engaging with ordinary members of the public and picking up intelligence and trends.
Having real conversations with Parish, District and Borough Councillors, not just the obligatory visit every few months to a scrutiny meeting at the local council. The Local Strategic Partnerships are worthwhile and valued, but they need to be re-focussed, they should be outcome based and should be consolidated into more cohesive areas grouping 3 or 4 District Councils together which would save money. Also rather than having to bid for money one year at a time they should be given a 4 year contract with annual reviews, this 4 year contract would last for the period of the Police Crime Commissioners tenure.
Our police forces are old legacy type organisations with plenty of baggage and working practices that need to be reformed, procedures, and working practices have to be completely reviewed the accepted norms should be questioned. Technology has to be a central plank to reform, linking the Police officer on the beat with handheld access to the network.
Top heavy self serving administrative structures feed themselves with continuing bureaucratic demands, high flying candidates play the careers game, they don’t want to rock the boat which undermines any type of change agenda.
The Police Commissioner role gives an opportunity for a candidate to institute real change, I believe any candidate should not think of a second term, they should concentrate on reforming agenda for the full four years, the last thing the Commissioner should be doing is thinking how to be re-elected, they should concentrate on reform. Setting out a vision is the first step,
I believe we should make Policing the centre of our communities, if I quote Sir Robert Peel “The police are the public and the public are the police” In the age of localism this one quote encapsulates what should be happening.
Ordinary Police officers know what has to be done, they observe these grandiose hierarchies where talented officers fast track themselves up the career ladder passing the ordinary officer by , we should start by empowering the local officers, engage them in the change agenda and take on board their commonsense solutions to Policing
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best in your campaign to become the Conservative candidate. I would merely point out that the easiest way of avoiding political interference of the police is for none of the parties to put up candidates of their own but instead to campaign for good quality Independent candidates - it is simple that way there is no interference, real or inferred!
Thanks Ian for your comment, I too wish you all the best for your campaign. I think the idea of parties not putting up candidates is impractical, because as soon as one party does the others will follow, but that’s democracy. But I have always prided myself on independence of thought and I am certainly in the race to make a difference. But having said all that, I wish you well in your bid.
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