Hertfordshire rejects police mega-force plans as PCC calls on new Prime Minister to scrap mergers
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Hertfordshire residents have delivered a clear message to the Government that they do not want police force mergers in Hertfordshire.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s public consultation has now closed, with responses showing overwhelming opposition to proposals that could see Hertfordshire Constabulary absorbed into a larger regional force. The findings reveal widespread concern that local policing would be weakened, resources pulled away from neighbourhoods and decisions affecting Hertfordshire made further away from the communities they serve.
3,697 residents took part in the consultation and responses show that 68% of respondents oppose police mergers, while only 15% support them. The findings also reveal widespread concern that local policing would be weakened if Hertfordshire Constabulary were absorbed into a larger regional force.
For Jonathan Ash-Edwards, the figures confirm what he has been warning since the Government first set out its proposals that bigger does not mean better.
Residents' biggest concerns include:
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Local policing being sidelined by regional priorities.
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Officers becoming less connected to the communities they serve.
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Slower response times to emergency calls.
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Fewer visible police patrols in neighbourhoods.
The consultation data shows that 60% of respondents believe they would feel less safe if Hertfordshire became part of a larger merged force, while 72% think there would be fewer police patrols in their area.
Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire said:
"Over three and a half thousand Hertfordshire residents have now had their say and the message is loud and clear. People want policing that is local, accountable and focused on the communities it serves.
"Bigger does not mean better. Huge regional police forces will be slower to respond, less interested in local priorities, harder to hold to account and more likely to divert resources away from neighbourhood policing.
"Hertfordshire residents are telling me they do not want decisions affecting their county being made further away. They do not want local priorities competing with those of much larger areas, and they do not want resources pulled into higher crime cities and big urban centres while towns and rural communities are left behind.
"I will now write to the Home Secretary setting out Hertfordshire’s clear opposition to these plans and sharing the consultation findings in full. I am also calling on the new Prime Minister to listen to residents, scrap these merger plans and focus instead on cutting crime, catching more criminals and keeping communities safe.
"Top-down public sector mergers are expensive, distracting and rarely deliver the savings and benefits promised. The Government should drop these plans before time and money are wasted on a reorganisation that the public neither asked for nor supports".
The findings come as debate grows nationally over proposals that could see police forces merged into larger regional organisations. The Government’s independent review is considering the future structure of policing, but members of the public were not being directly asked for their views.
Mr Ash-Edwards launched the consultation to ensure Hertfordshire residents and businesses had a voice in the debate. The results will now be sent to the Home Secretary and shared with the review team.