‘It’s leadership, not size’: David Sidwick challenges police mega-force proposals
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has reiterated his strong opposition to proposals to merge England and Wales’ 43 police forces into a much smaller number of regional ‘mega-forces’, warning that the plans risk diverting vital resources away from frontline policing at a time when the public needs it most.
Responding to the growing debate around Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposed police reforms, Mr Sidwick said: “This is a cynical attempt by some large forces to load the dice in their favour. This is political manoeuvring at its most obvious to sell the line that bigger is better, but we all know that it is not necessarily the case. The key factor driving cutting crime and improving safety isn’t size – it's leadership.
Any large force Chief Constables who take this stance should stop driving their political agenda and focus on improving their forces for their people.”
Mr Sidwick is one of five Police and Crime Commissioners who spoke to the Telegraph and publicly challenged the proposals to create ‘mega-forces’, raising concerns about their cost, the potential disruption to frontline policing and the impact on local accountability.
The Dorset PCC stressed that he recognises the need for policing to modernise and adapt to changing demands but said any reform must be driven by clear evidence and deliver tangible benefits for communities.
He said: “Policing must continue to evolve. Criminality is changing, technology is changing and public expectations are changing. It is right that we consider how policing is organised to meet future challenges.
“However, change should always be for the better. Reform should not be measured by the size of organisations created, but by whether it improves outcomes for the public, strengthens local policing and keeps people safe."
Mr Sidwick has also raised serious concerns about the financial implications of establishing a centralised National Police Service, which he believes could cost millions of pounds, despite there currently being no published business case setting out the full financial implications.
He said: “My concern is simple. If funding is diverted away from frontline services in Dorset to establish new national structures, local communities could end up receiving less rather than more. Equally, if national reform becomes the priority while resources are removed from projects that directly tackle crime, then we need to ask whether that is the right approach."
A central concern for Mr Sidwick is that a move towards larger regional forces could weaken the focus on the individual needs of local communities, particularly in rural counties such as Dorset.
He said: "There is a risk that structural reform is driven by a belief that bigger is always better. Dorset's communities will want reassurance that local concerns will remain local priorities.”
These local priorities include crimes such as shoplifting, anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and rural crime which have a significant impact on residents across Dorset.
He said: “Any future policing model must continue to focus on these issues and not become disproportionately focused on the challenges facing larger urban areas elsewhere."
Ultimately if the local connection is weakened or broken we move from policing connected to the public locally to a state police force controlled centrally. Something we should all be concerned about.
Mr Sidwick believes that Dorset's long-term interests would be best served through fairer funding arrangements that recognise the county's unique policing demands.