Policing in the 21st century: The Police Debate - Part 5 of 5 - Have Your Voice Heard

HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD

We have been invited to participate in the debate process for police reform via the police debate group on Linked In. As this is our link to the site, the reader may join Linked In to access the debate. Alternatively, to make participation easier, we will be posting the consultation questions in the key areas asked by the Home Office over a five part series of articles.

We have all witnessed the ACPO betrayal of the rank and file troops with leaking of the "Secret Document" this week. We followed our first article on this subject with "The Case Against ACPO", providing further evidence supporting the growing argument that these questions are too important to be left to ACPO alone and that the front line troops must have their voices heard.

On these pages and on other sites, here and here, we will be posting the consultation questions, collating the responses (anonymous is ok), and presenting them to the panel for inclusion within the debate. We believe the panel should recognise and include the Police Federation in the debate process now, so protecting the interests and presenting the views of the rank and file. The Federation should not be an afterthought, left to fight over policies and strategies already forced home by ACPO. ACPO are the managerial and strategic presence, the Federation should be empowered to stand alongside them in these early stages so that the most balanced and fair outcomes are arrived at.

In the meantime, this is your chance to let the panel know your views about the crucial reforms being considered in UK policing. Either on here, on the other sites we have linked above or directly via the Linked In debate pages, let us know your thoughts and experiences.

The debate process is in five parts, each of which contain a series on consultation questions. To see the consultation questions under each section, click the links below, each of which has been allocated a seperate posting from these pages. From time to time, we will post our own responses and those from other contributors from other sites.

1. Policing in the 21st Century: "The Challenge"

2. Policing in the 21st Century: "Increasing democratic accountability"

3. Policing in the 21st Century: "Removing bureaucratic accountability"

4. Policing in the 21st Century: "A national framework for efficient local policing"

5. Policing in the 21st Century: "Tackling crime together"

So, let's now look at the final set, number 5 Policing in the 21st Century: "Tackling crime together"

The Home Office's consultation paper aims to give everyone a say in how their area is

policed, with everyone able to play their part in cutting crime. There are plans to give

more opportunities for citizens to attend beat meetings, to get involved in Neighbourhood Watch, and to volunteer within the police service and the wider criminal justice system.

The consultation paper asks (in summary):

1. What more can the Government do to support the public to take a more active role in keeping neighbourhoods safe?

2. How can the Government encourage more people to volunteer (including as special constables) and provide necessary incentives to encourage them to stay?
3. What more can central Government do to make the criminal justice system more efficient?
4. What prescriptions from Government get in the way of effective local partnership working?
5. What else needs to be done to simplify and improve community safety and criminal justice work locally?

What are your views?

WANT TO SEE ALL THE CONSULTATION QUESTIONS - CLICK HERE