British police officers charge rioters, during riots in Hackney, east London

Norfolk does not want a police commissioner

PETER WALSH, Crime correspondent Monday, August 15, 2011
2:41 PM

We do not need an elected leader of our constabulary – this is the EDP’s message to the government as it plans to scrap police authorities in favour of new directly elected commissioners.

Police and crime commissioners (PCCs), whose responsibilities would include hiring and firing chief constables and setting the police budget will, say ministers, ensure the forces of law and order listen to the concerns of ordinary people.

The role – an integral part of reforms which comprise part of the coalition’s Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill – aims to transfer power to people instead of the “remote and invisible” police authorities which it will replace.

While the Metropolitan Police in London has a police commissioner, the role is more commonly associated with law enforcement in the United States.

In America a commissioner is head of an entire police force, responsible for policing policy and with control over the very highest echelons of the department’s officers.

Unlike proposals for the UK, police commissioners in the US are not usually directly elected.

There is no single model but in big cities, the commissioner is typically a civilian selected by the mayor, making it in effect a political appointment.

Underneath the commissioner – and his deputy commissioners in some cities – may be a police chief, a uniformed officer who has risen within the ranks, who directs day-to-day activity.

Here in the UK, home secretary Theresa May said the shift in power to police and crime commissioners would make forces truly accountable to the communities they served and ensure resources were properly targeted to needs.

Prime minister David Cameron has fully endorsed the proposals, which have almost completed their  way through Parliament although have not yet received royal assent, as a positive step for policing in Britain.

He said: “By replacing invisible police authorities with directly elected police and crime commissioners, we can forge a direct link between the police and the public, ensuring the public have a voice in setting police priorities and have the power to hold police to account for keeping our streets safe and secure.”

But opponents fear police commissioners – set to replace police authorities by May next year – put too much power in the hands of one individual and potentially risk politicising the police.

People opposed to the plans in this part of the country also believe local accountability – which the commissioners are supposed to provide – already exists under the current system through the introduction of Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs).

In June Norwich City Council agreed to write to the home secretary and Norwich MPs Chloe Smith and Simon Wright, urging them to axe the proposal.

Brenda Arthur, City Council leader, said: “It would give a great deal of power to one individual with no real checks and balances.

“One of the arguments put for it is it will bring police closer to the people but I think the Safer Neighbourhood Action Panels (SNAPS) have done exactly that and police community support officers (PCSOs) being out and visible on the streets has been really good.

“I think the current system has made people more aware of the police so in my view the successful neighbourhood action panels have done more to engage the public than any elected police commissioner will do.”

Concerns about police commissioners have also been raised at Norfolk County Council, though councillors rejected a call to abandon the idea at a meeting at County Hall earlier this month.

The move, proposed by Green group leader Phil Hardy at County Hall and fellow Green councillor Stephen Little, raised concerns about the ability of a single commissioner to represent all the county and help communities to shape policing priorities.

But the motion, which called for the authority to write to the home secretary to call for the plans to be abandoned, was rejected.

Instead it was agreed the authority’s community services overview and scrutiny panel should obtain a report and make representations.

Currently 17 members of Norfolk Police Authority, which consists of county councillors and independent members, are charged with the job of agreeing annual police budgets and how much council tax local  people pay towards Norfolk’s policing.

The authority also sets a local policing plan and agrees strategic priorities as well as hiring and – if necessary – firing the chief constable.

Police authorities, which had independent members added following the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994, have continued to work well alongside constabularies in enabling responsibility for major decisions to be shared.

It is a system which has served Norfolk well since 1995, enabling it to earn an impressive reputation as the safest county in England and Wales according to recent Home Office figures.

Stephen Bett, chairman of the police authority which in 1995 took over the role of scrutinising police, previously overseen by the  county council’s police committee, said: “I’m very, very proud and pleased of what Norfolk Constabulary and the police authority has achieved.

“They have been absolutely fantastic.

“It’s very difficult to see how a single person is going to carry on these achievements.

“We’ve invested a lot of money in our police, supported them, and done it without a political angle. I have to say I can’t quite understand how one person is going to be able to be as effective.”

Mr Bett’s doubts are shared by Joanna Spicer, chairman of Suffolk Police Authority, who disagrees with the plan but fears the debate is already over.

But Mr Bett, who is likely to be one of the candidates for the role of commissioner, said everyone would have to “make the best” of whatever the government has in store for policing.

Tomorrow – The Police Federation view

peter.walsh@archant.co.uk

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21 comments

Cant really see the difference between an Elected (Political) Commissioner and The Police authority (made up mainly of Councillors with their own agenda) - neither really represent the voice of the people - I say scrap them all and put the money saved into the police force to provide Police Officers (not PCSO Civilians) for our County

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Farquarson-Smythe

Friday, August 19, 2011
Well done the EDP for promoting a local debate. Interesting messages. Pleased to see some interest in the topic – at last. Just a few facts arising from points made so far. 1. Provided you are not disqualified (e.g. criminal record, MP, serving police officer or staff member etc), then anyone can stand. Just be ready to organise a county-wide election campaign. 2. Salary for PCC is not yet announced - but probably on a scale of between 70 to 120K (+ pension costs etc) + they can appoint a Deputy PCC too (also salaried). They have to appoint a Chief Executive and a Treasurer too (sorry – automatons not viable – they don’t pay tax either!). They will appoint other staff to discharge all the other roles they have to discharge. 3. ‘ACPO’ can't field candidates - but former police officers, of any rank, can stand. 4. The Commissioner is not able to interfere with tacticaloperational policing. That remains the responsibility of the Chief Constable. 5. To run a single Norfolk-wide election costs about £600K. ditto for any county-wide referendum. Costs will be less if shared with other elections. 6. If people want to input into how Norfolk is policed there have been, and continue to be, many opportunities to attend public meetings, or respond via the NPA website ( www.norfolk-pa.gov.uk ) or to join in the various interest groups that link into the police and the Authority. For those that prefer to do this from the comfort of their armchair, the "virtual community forum" is just the thing for you. Also, look at the Constabulary website (www.norfolk.police.uk ) to find the timeslocations of the local SNAP meeting and help determine local police priorities in your areas. 7. Viperman 17 – email your facts to the NPA via the website please.

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NPAman

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Although i can see where you are coming from anglia_squared, unfortunately you could tiple the police on the streets of norfolk but they still wont deal with the problem. Come to swaffham. 2 days and nights of hell now and the police have turned there backs and stuck up for the trouble makers. An elected commisioner would be scared of losing his job at the next election (unlike the Chief Constable) and would force his men and women (The police on the ground) to actually uphold the law and protect the innocent.

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viperman17

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Perhaps the EDP can tell us why Norfolk Police Authority is so wonderful and change isn't necessary? Nobody has considered the option of disbanding the police authority and replacing it with a 'nodding automaton'. I could supply one for about £25, thus saving loads of money in members expenses etc.

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popeye

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
viperman17 - I would argue the money would be better spent on police (rather than cutting them) and then spending £180m on these commissioners.

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anglia_squared

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sorry EDP but Norfolk does need an elected police commisioner. Maybe they would actually stand up for the law abiding citizen instead of the law breaker (As witnessed in swaffham tonight) and would do this as they knew they would lose their jobs at the next election.

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viperman17

Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I agree with Norwich Lad - it would be nice if it could be guaranteed that any elected commissioner was apolitical, but the fact is the campaigning mechanisms for such a post are all party-based. It is therefore inevitable that a political appointment will be made. This being the case, it is certainly worth taking John Martin's point into account, and accepting that the only thing that needs changing is the accountability of the police authority, which would also be much cheaper than having a whole new post created (and FYI, how much do we think a commissioner will be paid - quite a lot one would assume).

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Peter J

Tuesday, August 16, 2011
"but has taken it upon itself to rule out any thought of elected commissioners before the idea even gets off the ground" - It makes more sense to do so before it gets off the ground than allow it to happen after £180m has been spent.

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anglia_squared

Monday, August 15, 2011
To Norwich Lad & others. What we want is a say on how Norfolk is policed, which is something we are currently being denied. An elected commissioner seems to give us the best opportunity for that to happen. The EDP has no mandate from the local populous; but has taken it upon itself to rule out any thought of elected commissioners before the idea even gets off the ground. The EDP`s, "Royal We," doesn`t include me.

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BG

Monday, August 15, 2011
It is almost certain that any elected commissioner will have stood on a party political ticket. Is that really what the people of Norfolk want? I suspect not

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Norwich lad

Monday, August 15, 2011
Why are so many of those paid by the tax payer against such a proposal? Might there be a danger of democracy breaking out? There is nothing to stop an elected commissioner continuing with the panels that Brenda Arthur claims are is vital for connecting with the community but her claims that officers of whatever kind on the streets can influence top brass is fatuous in the extreme. Similarly, the claim that Norfolk is against lacks credibility. If we really have to do lets have a referendum but otherwise lets implement it. I am cetainly in favour of this proposal.

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andy

Monday, August 15, 2011
Ingo, this is simply for information. At present, the twin-hatters on NPA are Cllrs Byrne, Humphrey, Joyce and Perry-Warnes. Given that the minimum an NPA member receives in allowances annually is £9k, each must be in receipt of around £23k in allowances (before expenses) from the public purse. Of course, Cllr Humphrey is also an NCC cabinet member, so his minimum aggregate figure is around £46k. Cllr Bett, the NPA chairman, is not a twin-hatter but he receives £25k from NPA and £9k from NCC, so he isn't hurting. By the way, Cllr Bett has never made any secret in the past of his wish to be NCC's first elected police and crime commissioner.

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John Martin

Monday, August 15, 2011
Police Chiefs and the Police Federation are openly turning on anyone who dares criticise them with a, “we know better than anyone,” attitude. The toothless police authorities are taking a similar stand point, purely because they know their jobs are on the line. We also have a very acquiescent media, who derive a high proportion of their output from the police and don`t want to upset the apple cart. With such entrenched attitudes the public are being denied any say in how their communities are policed. The police service per se needs to explain why, with so many police roles now civilianised, which returned significant numbers of police officers to front line duties. With an additional increase in police numbers in the region of 30% in the last decade, why there are so very few police officers actually out on the streets. Sometimes none and officers have to be sent from miles away to deal with the incident. The EDP would do well to do a real investigative piece on the police rather than rely on the “party line” for their information. Speak to those at the sharp end who are being run ragged day in, day out.

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BG

Monday, August 15, 2011
Two good points made by John Martin and anglia squared. Should this policy be forced on to Norfolk, we will see the police commissioner drawn from the same mindset that now has become accustomed to treble perks and expenses. I would argue that any private police company like ACPO, who could themselves field a candidate, should have a public sector candidate pitched against them. Include the issue in the next NCC elections, lets see what people think about it, because the EDP does not hold the or represent the democratic mandate on this issue.

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ingo wagenknecht

Monday, August 15, 2011
I see it as being an issue of cost, JCW. Last week showed how we need to maintain our police force. It seems ridiculous to spend over £100m on these elections when we are cutting police because the government wants to spend less.

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anglia_squared

Monday, August 15, 2011
Over the years the press has reported the concerns of the public over the lack of accountability of the police service, the squandering of the police authority, and the way the police seem to be a law unto themselves. Now it seems these concerns are trivial and any notion of reform by electing a commissioner who would require direct public approval is rejected. Thankfully, Norfolk is a low-crime area but is that due entirely to the quality of law enforcement policy in this county? Is there no room for improvement or modernisation in the governance of the police?

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JCW

Monday, August 15, 2011
I am not sure that "means of patronage" is the appropriate term. "Punishments and rewards" is closer to the truth.

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Nemesis

Monday, August 15, 2011
More "government by gimmick". We see the truth in Cameron's claim to be the true successor to Blair. Why this constant wish to import failed practices from the U.S.?

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Chris Booty

Monday, August 15, 2011
Norfolk's police autorities, past and present, have probably done more good for local people than may ever be recognised. But whilst I have nothing against Mr Bett, I feel that if a commissioner is eventually appointed, he or she should not be a previous member of the police authority. A new approach should encompass a new way of thinking and a new way of doing things. If a change has to happen, in my opinion it must be a complete change.

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Mel Lacey

Monday, August 15, 2011
Yes, there are a number of district councillors - who are also county councillors - sitting on the police authority to do the "treble". This, it often seems, to be about money.

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anglia_squared

Monday, August 15, 2011
If Norfolk Police Authority survives, I should much prefer to see the system whereby the adminstration at County Hall appoints the majority of its members abolished. Given the generous amounts of the NPA allowances, this is used effectively as means of patronage.

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John Martin

Monday, August 15, 2011