Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Darryl Preston’s response to the Police Reform White Paper

“Now that the details of the government’s Police Reform White Paper have been published, there is a great deal to consider. I largely welcome the proposal for national delivery of some specialist capabilities, but I do have several concerns.  

“Firstly, I welcome the decision to finally review funding for policing. This is good news for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents and something I have been fighting for since being first elected Police and Crime Commissioner in 2021.   

“With regards to the proposed merging of forces, I am yet to see any evidence that supports the premise that large mergers of police forces will be more effective than the current model. In fact, I could point to many examples to the contrary. Some of the largest forces in the country, including Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Metropolitan Police, have all at times been placed into special measures.  

“Here in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough we already have one of the highest rates of public satisfaction and that is not something that happens by accident.  The success of neighbourhood policing depends on local knowledge and understanding – removing local community links between the police and the people they serve has the potential to weaken relationships between communities, undermining community policing and damaging trust and confidence.   

“Secondly, these structural changes could also undermine local accountability. As Police and Crime Commissioners we have worked hard to improve transparency and accountability and there is a danger that merger of local police forces could leave communities feeling disengaged. What matters to the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough could be entirely different to those living in other parts of the country.  

“Thirdly, I am very concerned about the proposed changes to Home Secretary policing powers. At the moment, the government sets strategic policing requirements which Chief Constables have to have regard to. The proposed changes include strategic policing priorities, which means that policing ‘must’ adhere to the government’s priorities. This is a significant change and relies on governments making sensible decisions.  

“Fourthly, it is very important to remember that policing in our country only exists because of the consent of the public. The government’s proposals have been introduced without any consultation or any opportunities for members of the public to have their say. This is not policing by consent.   

“Finally, I must question whether these large structural changes will ultimately deliver what they promise – we are told time and time again that there is no more funding for policing. How will these proposals be funded and how will all this disruption impact our communities and hardworking officers and staff in the meantime?  

“As we work through the detail included in the White Paper, I know myself and the Chief Constable continue to be focused on keeping the residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough safe and looking after the police force that currently serves our county.”