Price of the police

Chief Constables will have to adjust to the new age of austerity and this means deciding which services and projects can be maintained. Sir Hugh is right to call on the coalition to set out its vision for tackling and preventing crime, but it is not one that can be done quickly. Ministers will first have to consider what exactly police officers are employed to do, because the functions of the police have changed significantly in the last 13 years.

It is all part of the challenge of doing more with less. In order to capitalise on the extra police brought in by Labour, forces will inevitably consider a greater merging of back office functions, of the like seen in Yorkshire since Mark Whyman was appointed deputy chief constable for the entire region. There is nothing wrong with this, providing it does not dilute forces' local knowledge and their ability to respond quickly to events in their neighbourhood.

The coalition also has to deliver on its promise to free police

officers from their desks. While police numbers grew under Labour, the former Government also presided over the building of a mountain of paperwork. Cutting this will save time and money as quickly as any new Whitehall initiatives, as necessary as they may be.

Sir Hugh also warns against pursuing reform in an "uncoordinated" way. There is some sense in this but Ministers must take in to account the huge set of challenges faced by this region's forces. From the property of small businesses and farmers, over a huge geographical patch, to counter-terrorism, Yorkshire police must still be given the freedom they need to keep us all safe.