Plural policing in england and wales: thoughts and discussion

Abstract

The current structure of 43 police forces in England and Wales reflects in part the historical fear of a national police force. The historical context of this concern can be found in the period before the introduction of the Metropolitan Police Act 1829, with the popular fear that a national police could easily become puppets of the government which could lead to anarchy and direct political control. People pointed to examples of the misuse of the police in European countries, particularly Revolutionary France to support this argument; hence the fragmentation of British police forces, with the accent on so-called ‘local accountability’. However, as Jones2 points out, the general trend in recent times has been one of greater centralised control of local policing, with the Home Office exerting more influence and the establishment of national policing bodies such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency (now the National Crime Agency). Other national bodies include her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Audit Commission, and the Police Standards Unit amongst others who have been important actors in the national governance of policing in England and Wales.3 Whilst this may have been true of previous Labour governments the change in government from 2010 seems to have invoked a looser central control with the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners, (PCCs) elected in November 2012 under the auspices of the Police and Social Responsibility Act4 and the end of ring fenced funding for community policing. The introduction of PCCs, with the revived funding arrangements for that post meaning PCCs can decide how to spend their budgets, introduces the possibility for further pluralisation of policing services.