The Future of Policing in Stone - Part 2

Last Thursday, a public meeting about the 'Future of Policing in Stone' was treated to a dissertation upon the election of a Police and Crime Commissioner later this year. One person present thought she had attended the wrong meeting and couldn't see the significance of that topic to the subject in hand! In one respect she was right. We'd all turned up to hear about the proposal to close the Police Station in Radford Street and its suggested move to the Town Council offices in Station Road - see my 'Part 1 posting.

From another perspective, however, the election of a Commissioner will almost certainly have a major influence upon the future of policing, not only in Stone, but across the county. One of Cameron's barmiest ideas has been to introduce the concept of an elected Police and Crime Commissioner. And to my disgust, Nick Clegg caved in and supported the idea. So Chief Constables up and down the country are going to be answerable to an elected Commissioner who has the power to hire and fire them. Commissioners will have very extensive powers and duties especially over budgetary matters.

And that means that most candidates for the post will be party political. All political parties are now busy selecting their candidates. I'll put money on the fact that the Tory's eventual candidate was present at the meeting last Thursday! We'll soon be hearing the obvious rants "More bobbies on the beat" "I'll cut the policing bill" "More arrests needed" etc etc. It's scary.

No-one has put forward any criticism of the existing system of managing the police nor has anyone, in my opinion, successfully argued that a Commissioner can improve on the current arrangements.

We've seen the nonsense of elected Mayors. And we can see what 'politicising' law enforcement in the United States can do. And no-one seems to care!