Former Home Secretary Rt Hon David Blunkett MP today reacted to the publication of the coalition Government’s policing White Paper.
When in government, Mr Blunkett established the Serious Organised Crime Agency which, according to this White Paper, will be abolished. SOCA drew together a whole range of related services and agencies to gather intelligence on and combat organised criminality.
Mr Blunkett also heavily informed the Labour Government’s policing White Paper, published last year. Mr Blunkett’s review of police accountability, A People’s Police Force, drew up plans for reform of police authorities and, in common with top officers such as Sir Hugh Orde, condemned the idea of elected police commissioners.
Mr Blunkett said: “For a government that came in promising less disruption and fewer reorganisations, the scale, speed and lack of consultation carried out by the new coalition is breathtaking. Presumably, this, rather than coherent, long-term improvements, is the objective of the exercise.
“I personally am not wedded to the exact structure and make-up of SOCA, but it would be wrong to misunderstand the reasonable need for an intermediate tier between neighbourhood policing and international criminality. A failure to appreciate that cross-boundary organised crime also relates to intelligence on drugs, people trafficking and major international money-laundering would be very costly.
“This reorganisation confuses resourcing at local level with the need for that intermediate tier which crosses police service areas – and, in particular, should address new cyber and e-crime, which is a major challenge in which those with the experience and expertise are massively underfunded.
“It is not at all clear how this crucial element will be dealt with as police budgets are slashed and innovative new areas of concern are ditched.
“Taken together with complete confusion and muddle about the difference between answerability and accountability of the police directly to the people they serve, we could end up with a rollercoaster which diverts police from doing the job, while also drawing away resources from front-line activity.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Mr Blunkett published A People’s Police Force: Police Accountability in the Modern Era in July 2009. It can be downloaded here.
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