Price of police in new Britain

YORKSHIRE'S four police forces were among the first public bodies to wake up to the scale of savings needed in austerity Britain. As such, their plans to share services, which could save up to £100m, deserve a fair hearing despite the concerns which inevitably arise.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jul 2010, 23:47 BST
Updated 1st Jul 2010, 23:47 BST

The Deloitte report, which suggests call handling, science laboratories and admin support could be "regionalised" as part of the efficiency drive, may well point the way forward as law enforcement learns to live with the coalition's cuts.

A full-scale merger is a very different proposition, however. The police are not calling for this but clearly residents recognise it is a possibility, even if it remains an indistinct one.

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Taxpayers see policing as a local service and knowledge of the patch is vital. Ministers, chief constables and police authorities must keep these facts at the forefront of their minds for each decision taken.

Yorkshire's four forces have begun to make major changes. The

appointment of Mark Whyman, as deputy chief constable for the whole region, as well as changes to the way things like uniforms and equipment are purchased, have already helped Yorkshire's four forces to save money.

Given that Britain's deficit-cutting programme will take several years to complete, the forces must not contemplate reining back these measures. So it is alarming that one force, South Yorkshire, is already considering watering down new measures to cut the amount of money it spends on overtime.

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The 9m it spends each year on overtime, as a proportion of its budget, is well above many other forces. While it faces challenges, such as many areas of social deprivation and the tendency of some criminals to bring guns into Sheffield city centre, the attempt to water down its money-saving measures cannot be justified by pointing to its present staffing levels.

It would be better if South Yorkshire police just got on with cutting its costs, just as virtually every other part of society has been forced to do. It would set a good example to other forces and demonstrate a sense of tough leadership that will be needed over the next five years.

Taken with the measures to co-operate more with other forces, it would put the police on a sustainable footing and allow them to concentrate on what they do best – catching criminals.

Related topics:YorkshireBritainDeloitteSheffield