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Force rejects merger plans

Sue Carr
4/ 1/2006

DERBYSHIRE Police has rebelled against plans to merge the country's forces.

Two options have been put forward by the government to create a 'larger, strategic force' for the East Midlands region.

The first is for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to join forces and for Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire to combine. The second is for all five to merge into a mega-force.

But although all authorities were requested to make their choice before Christmas, Derbyshire refused.

A letter to the government said: "The establishment of strategic forces is not affordable in the East Midlands without the provision by central government of substantial, additional and long-term funding.

"There is no indication at present that funding on this scale will be made available. Such funding would need to be made available for the establishment of strategic forces to be worthy of further examination."

Derbyshire Police Authority had previously accused Home Secretary Charles Clarke of trying to 'bribe' them with promises of cash if they volunteered for the merger.

They were also concerned about the lack of time for public consultation and the gaps in information from the Home Office.

Authority chairman Janet Birkin said: "We also have serious concerns about how any merger might affect neighbourhood policing and the people and agencies we have consulted with so far are also worried about how any new, strategic force would be held accountable.

"Although as a police authority we are not adverse to change, we feel there are too many unanswered questions to enable us to identify any preferred option."

Police authorities across the country are unanimously opposed to the idea of merging and all ignored the December deadline.

Derbyshire is now looking into the idea of a 'federated' police structure where the East Midlands forces would work together but retain their own identities.