Neighbourhood Policing

A lot of my casework involves police matters, and many people get frustrated when they report incidents to the police and have to wait before any action is taken. Well, the government may be trying to change all this with the latest Green Paper from the Home Office entitled "From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing our Communities Together". Download your copy here

I have spent today at Thames Valley Police Authority where I represent Oxfordshire County Council on the Board, and we have been discussing what this will mean for us in the Thames Valley. For example, how do people feel about having directly elected Police Boards? At the moment the board is made up of independent members, councillors and JP's. Would it make the police more accountable?

I guess most people won't be interested in the make up of Police Authorities so long as they get the service they need when they need it. Like local councils, police authorities raise their income from a precept on the council tax, and year on year, this always goes up. The public like to see value for money so how do we ensure that money is well spent?

I would be interested to hear views if you have time to read the document, and of course, you may wish to take part in the official consultation on the website.