eurealist.co.uk

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, has stated the following regarding the police mergers and EU-derived regional boundaries (Hansard, Nov 17, 2005: Column 1428W):

“We have made clear to the police service that the very strong starting presumption is that any new force areas should not cross Government office regional boundaries. It follows that very strong arguments would need to be submitted in support of any merger proposals which went contrary to this presumption.”

Hampshire police authority has been explicitly told by the Home Office to forget about any merger with Dorset/Dorset and Wiltshire:

Every police authority and force in England and Wales has been directed by the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, to look at the creation of ‘strategic police forces’ in order to improve nationally the delivery of protective services.

This follows the publication of the Home Office report ‘Closing the Gap – A Review of the fitness for purpose of the current structure of policing in England and Wales’ which examined whether the present police structure is able to meet the challenges posed by the current and future policing needs.

Hampshire Police Authority and Hampshire Constabulary submitted a joint proposal to the Home Office on 28 October outlining the options it felt were most viable for the future of policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The three options recommended were

1. Hampshire to stand alone as a strategic force
2. Hampshire to merge with Dorset and Wiltshire
3. Hampshire to merge with Dorset

The Home Office feedback said that looking outside the South East region was not an option. The report back also said that currently the Home Office does not feel there was strong evidence that Hampshire could stand alone as a strategic force because it does not meet the criteria of 4,000 officers – even though it is one of the country’s largest forces with 3,803 officers and is looking to take on more than 500 new Police Community Support Officers over the next few years taking it over the 4,000 benchmark.

The Home Office has directed police authorities and forces in the South East to look further at five options:

1. Two strategic forces

1. Kent, Surrey and Sussex

2. Thames Valley and Hampshire

2. Three strategic forces

1. Kent

2. Thames Valley

3. Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire

3. Three strategic forces

1. Kent, Surrey and Sussex

2. Thames Valley

3. Hampshire (stand-alone)

4. Three strategic forces

1. Kent and Sussex

2. Thames Valley

3. Hampshire and Surrey

5. Four strategic forces

1. Kent

2. Thames Valley

3. Surrey and Sussex

4. Hampshire (stand-alone)

Hampshire Police Authority and Hampshire Constabulary were very disappointed with the Home Office options and have decided to focus on two options identified by the authority and constabulary as those that will best serve the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Preferred option - Hampshire standing alone as a strategic force (3.3/5.4)

If Hampshire has to merge - Hampshire merging with Dorset and Wiltshire.

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