Police body opposes plans to create regional force

Plans to merge a police force into a regional constabulary would "dilute local policing", according to a body that represents rank-and-file officers.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is said to be considering reforms, which could see the number of forces in England and Wales cut from 43 mainly county-based forces to 12 regional ones, as reported by The Times.

Durham Police Federation chair Louise Guest said Durham Police was a "community-led force" and the link with local officers would be "eroded" if it became a region-wide operation with Cleveland and Northumbria.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Cumbria also voiced opposition to mergers and said "mega-forces" would weaken local accountability.

In November, Mahmood hinted at sweeping changes at a conference of police leaders.

The home secretary, who is expected to unveil plans to reform policing in the coming weeks, said the current structure of 43 forces across England and Wales was "irrational" with "disparities in performance" creating a "postcode lottery".

Guest said police officers were concerned by reports that the government was considering replacing local forces with larger regional constabularies in a bid to increase efficiency.

"We're going to have decisions being made by individuals that are hundreds of miles away who may not know locally what's going on," she added.

In Cumbria, Liberal Democrat councillors have submitted a motion to Cumberland Council which said: "Merging police forces into "mega-forces" would weaken local accountability and reduce the visibility of officers in our communities.

"Investment should focus on modernising technology, improving data sharing, and strengthening community policing, not structural mergers."

But senior figures in policing said a redrawing of police force boundaries was overdue.

In July, National Police Chiefs' Council chair Gavin Stephens said: "A smaller number of police forces, supported by a national policing organisation, would enable us to make decisions far quicker and maximise funding to invest in technology and our workforce."

A government white paper setting out proposals for police reform was originally expected to be unveiled last year.

Ministers announced in November they would scrap Police and Crime Commissioners, the elected regional officials who oversee policing, in a bid to save public cash.

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