Police forces in England and Wales were recently told, by the Head of the National Police Chiefs Council, that they may have to merge to avoid having their budgets cut by up to a quarter despite police forces already facing austerity measures implemented in 2010 (nao.org, 2015). I will look at the main arguments for and against the merging of 43 forces in England and Wales.
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners estimated that up to £300m could be saved within just a few years if forces could collaborate. They also mentioned a disparity between the costs of uniforms and equipment between forces. For example, the price of standard handcuffs can range from £14 to £43 and police issue boots range from £25 to £114. However, Ronnie …show more content…
A merge could be inevitable to avoid exceptional funding cuts. An argument against the merging of forces was posited by home secretary, Theresa May, who stated that the full merging of police forces would “sacrifice identity and accountability” and recommended greater collaboration between forces rather than merging. She cited a successful collaboration between West Mercia and Warwickshire forces, who managed to pool their resources and share investigations, as an example (Guardian, …show more content…
This raises concerns over frontline policing and police presence where it may be needed most. A considerable amount of police officers could potentially lose their jobs if a merge was implemented throughout England and
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners estimated that up to £300m could be saved within just a few years if forces could collaborate. They also mentioned a disparity between the costs of uniforms and equipment between forces. For example, the price of standard handcuffs can range from £14 to £43 and police issue boots range from £25 to £114. However, Ronnie …show more content…
A merge could be inevitable to avoid exceptional funding cuts. An argument against the merging of forces was posited by home secretary, Theresa May, who stated that the full merging of police forces would “sacrifice identity and accountability” and recommended greater collaboration between forces rather than merging. She cited a successful collaboration between West Mercia and Warwickshire forces, who managed to pool their resources and share investigations, as an example (Guardian, …show more content…
This raises concerns over frontline policing and police presence where it may be needed most. A considerable amount of police officers could potentially lose their jobs if a merge was implemented throughout England and