 The police authority wants more local policing |
Possible moves for Cheshire police matters to be governed from Manchester or Liverpool will be fought, the county police authority has said. A report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary to the Home Secretary suggested some small forces may merge into bigger ones to improve efficiency.
Cheshire chief constable Peter Fahy admitted his force is "under threat".
Under the proposals Merseyside or Greater Manchester forces could run Cheshire's operations.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke, who is considering the report, said on Monday the number of police forces in England and Wales had to be reduced.
Not equipped
Chair of the police authority, Mr Nurse, said it would argue in favour of more local policing.
He said: "The Cheshire Police Authority will mount a strong case that the policing of our communities should not be decided and governed from Liverpool or Manchester, although we will be prepared to discuss with other police authorities the use of joint arrangements to tackle terrorism and serious crime."
Last week's report by Denis O'Connor said the existing policing structure was "no longer fit for purpose" in the 21st Century.
It suggested smaller forces were not equipped to deal with the challenges of modern crime like domestic violence and serious and organised crime.
But Cheshire police authority and force said in a statement they agreed it was "critical that local people and their representatives have greater influence over the way policing is delivered in their area".
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