Commissioner gives agreement to progress with Strategic Alliance

An historic three-way collaboration programme between three police forces, which will help to protect local policing in Cambridgeshire, has moved decisively forward following Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright’s decision to agree commencement of the work associated with the programme.

A document outlining the approach to the changes has been agreed by the Chief Constables and the required decisions presented to Commissioner Bright at Welwyn Garden City today (Tuesday 13th May) together with his opposite numbers from Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

The agreement enables the three forces to develop business cases to collaborate fully on operational support and organisational support functions which include finance, fleet, estates and facilities, legal services, human resources, training, ICT, firearms licensing, public contact centres, control rooms, custody and crime recording.

Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright said: “We are always looking at ways to share services that will offer increased resilience, an efficient service and deliver value for money. We already have a track record of successful collaboration. I am delighted that this agreement cements the collaboration programme.”

Chief Constable Simon Parr added: “Like every police force, (county) faces significant financial and operational challenges in the coming years.

“We have already proved that collaboration between the three forces can be successfully achieved. This programme will help us to protect frontline policing whilst achieving better value for money services for the public.”

Realisation of the benefits from the three force collaboration programme will help address the financial and operational challenges, maximise the return to the taxpayer and protect the delivery of frontline policing, particularly the local neighbourhood teams.

Local policing, including incident response and neighbourhood policing, will continue to be delivered by the individual forces, thereby enabling the specific priorities of each Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plans to be met.