Jun 12 - Why have the coalition government’s policies on policing been controversial?
Coalition policies have included:
· Directly elected police commissioners
· 20% cuts to police budgets by 2015
· 2 year pay freeze and the suspension of bonuses for chief officers
The reforms have been considered controversial for the following reasons:
· The Welsh chief constables argue that directly elected commissioners are not needed
in Wales, as Welsh police authorities are already diverse enough and with the skills needed to represent their communities
· The South Wales Police Authority has already called the plans “unsustainable,
unnecessary and too costly”- the Local Government Association has backed this, with estimated election costs of £50m
· There are fears that elections will lead to commissioners with populist agendas or political extremists being elected
· Budget cuts have led to claims by ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) that up to 8,000 jobs will be lost
· The chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales has argued that the pay freeze and cuts (alongside potential increases in pensions contributions) will devastate the service, leading to a potential 15% reduction in take-home pay- he has also suggested that judicial action may be taken
· Labour have argued that the cuts are going too far and too fast, and will directly affect local communities
Jan 11: To what extent is there disagreement between govt & opposition over policing?
Candidates should demonstrate awareness that there has been a growing consensus on tackling law and order through targeting the causes of crime as well as punishing criminals between the main political parties, but that differences still exist in specific policies.
Under Labour governments, more powers were given to the police. For example, ‘on the- spot’ fines were introduced, greater discretion given to inform local communities about sex offenders in the area, anti-terror laws giving the police more surveillance powers etc .
Broadly speaking, extending police powers- especially with regards to anti-terror legislation- have been supported by the Conservative Party. However, they have expressed concern over the growth of the ‘surveillance state’- David Davis resigned his seat and triggered a by-election in 2007 in protest at this.
In opposition, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were broadly in agreement about making the police more accountable to elected individuals or bodies, and devolving responsibility for policing down to a more local level. Both also agreed that there was a need to reduce police bureaucracy.
However, the Conservatives also focus on giving more powers to the police in order to prevent crime, whereas the Liberal Democrats believe there need to be more police on the beat. The Conservatives also pledged to abolish police authorities, where the Liberal Democrats wanted to raise the profiles of police authorities and make them more accountable through elected representatives.
In coalition, they have agreed to:
· Replace police authorities with directly-elected police and crime commissioners are to be introduced in 2012
· Police bureaucracy will be reduced but there is no guarantee that this will avoid reducing police numbers
· Gove police more powers to deal with licensed problems that are causing problems
· Cut funding by £10 million but ring-fence funding for community officers for 2 years
Labour have criticised the additional layer of politicians proposed, and also the funding cuts but have yet to form a comprehensive set of policies under their new leader.
Jan 10: How, and to what extent, has the Conservative Party’s approach to law and order changed in recent years?
Candidates should demonstrate an awareness that some of the themes of Conservative policy on law and order have remained largely unchanged, including:
• Strengthening police powers, especially in terms of stop and search
• The commitment to make “punishment fit the crime” that suggests more offenders going to prison and longer sentences
• The commitment to build sufficient prison places to keep as many people locked up for as long as necessary
However, there have also been new themes in Conservative policy in this area, similar to those traditionally associated with the political left, including:
• Addressing the causes of crime, by putting justice policy in the context of strengthening communities and families – such as improving schools and skills
• Monitoring the use of police surveillance to ensure that civil liberties are not infringed
• Increasing local accountability of the police through direct election of senior officers
