Letwin calls for American style local policing
The Conservative Party is proposing that local politicians should control the police.
Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin criticised the Government with claims of centralisation of Police policy, and promised that a Conservative administration would reverse present police policy.
Mr Letwin told the Police Superintendents’ Association conference that he would remove control from the ‘politicians and bureaucrats’ of Whitehall, and would give control to local politicians instead.
The proposal is a direct shift towards policing in the USA, and would involve the creation of American style chief constables who would be accountable to local politicians.
Mr Letwin told the conference, ‘We will push power down from the politicians and bureaucrats, through the police force hierarchies and to the police officers on the front line against crime and disorder.
‘Each of you will be accountable, not to me, but to the neighbourhoods in your care.’
Conservative proposals will be outlined in detail at their Conference next month, but have been raised in response to David Blunkett’s speech to the same audience yesterday.
The Home Secretary called for the next phase of reform in the police service to begin, and highlighted the need for stronger community policing.
Mr Letwin’s proposals on local policing go further than those suggested by the Government so far. He also restated a previous promise for 40,000 extra police to be hired under a Conservative administration, which should be on top of the increase in numbers under Labour.
