The senior official for Warwickshire Police has accepted that the force probably faces inclusion in ministerial amalgamation proposals. Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe, a Conservative, disclosed that he joined counterparts and chief constables from neighbouring regions in meeting Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe, who is heading a review of police force structures across England and Wales, at Warwickshire Police’s Leek Wootton base on Thursday.
Information emerged last month that Lord Hogan-Howe had been given the assignment of determining the most efficient approach for establishing fewer, larger forces through an evaluation that would suggest an optimal count. Under these arrangements, regional forces would oversee intricate investigations including homicides, narcotics crimes and county lines activity, whilst local policing zones would focus exclusively on the matters that matter most to residents and businesses, encompassing shoplifting, drug trafficking, mobile phone robbery and disorderly conduct.
Addressing Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Panel, a body comprising county, district and borough councillors alongside non-elected co-opted members who supervise the Police and Crime Commissioner’s activities, Mr Seccombe observed that he did not think he learned much beyond the objective being to decrease police force numbers. He believed Lord Hogan-Howe listened to everything shared and will consider it, but the home secretary’s political directive is to reduce force numbers. Being the smallest out of 43 forces in a 43-force system, Warwickshire is certainly eligible for changes to its position. The force will wait to learn what emerges from this.
Mr Seccombe signalled he expects Lord Hogan-Howe’s conclusions to be published by summer or autumn this year, with any possible mergers occurring across a seven-to-eight year period.
He added that this is an extended timeframe and considerable changes can occur, especially politically, so nothing is certain. His best approach as Warwickshire Police is to remain as professional and effective as possible while preparing for every outcome. That will be his recommendation.
Panel chair Sue Gill, one of two non-elected members, inquired whether the review’s motivations were purely financial. Mr Seccombe, who has long championed Warwickshire remaining an independent force, set out various concerns.
He noted that they covered those points in the morning. Personally, he does not believe it will result in any savings. It is likely to incur additional costs.
Noting that approximately 80 per cent of most forces’ budgets goes towards staffing, he continued that if significant savings are to be achieved, numerous job losses would be necessary, which involves substantial costs, and the return on investment is not always rapid.
Rapid execution poses challenges too. For instance, many forces operate different IT systems and follow different procedures for handling matters.
In comparison with neighbours, particularly West Midlands, Warwickshire’s crime profile differs entirely from other regions. Considerable deliberation is needed regarding potential benefits.
Forces must prioritise the interests of residents in villages and towns to enhance policing, rather than focusing on administrative restructuring.