Prescott hits out at police centralisation

The Labour peer, who plans to stand for election as Humberside’s first police and crime commissioner later this year, told the House of Lords the creation of the National Crime Agency (NCA) is a “deliberate policy to centralise power”.

Creating the NCA is in the Crime and Courts Bill. It should be operational next year, incorporating the Serious Organised Crime Agency, border security, and child exploitation functions.

“The proposals reflect not uncertainty in the Government, but a contradiction,” Lord Prescott said.” On the one hand, they say that there should be local control of policing; on the other, they make sure that the control lies at the centre with the Secretary of State.

“It is the biggest centralisation of our police that we have witnessed for many a year.”