The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Suffolk has warned that proposals to create large regional police forces risk weakening local accountability and diverting resources away from rural communities.
Tim Passmore made the comments in response to remarks by Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, regarding future police force structures and potential mergers.
Sir Mark is proposing eight to 10 regional police forces – replacing the current 43 force
structure.
Speaking at a meeting of the Suffolk Police and Crime Panel earlier today, Mr Passmore
said he remained unconvinced that creating larger regional forces would deliver better outcomes for communities such as Suffolk.
Mr Passmore said: "I am not opposed to reform or improvement.
“Policing must continue to evolve to meet changing demands and make the best use of
public resources.
"However, I would caution strongly against the assumption that bigger automatically means better.
“Any changes to policing structures must be judged on whether they improve outcomes for the public and strengthen local accountability.
"My concern is that, under a large regional force, resources and decision-making could increasingly be concentrated in major urban centres, leaving rural counties such as Suffolk and Norfolk at risk of losing influence and visibility."
Mr Passmore said neighbourhood policing remains the foundation of effective law enforcement and community safety.
"Neighbourhood policing teams play a vital role in understanding local communities as well as gathering intelligence while addressing the issues residents care about most.
"In Suffolk, our towns and rural communities face a unique set of challenges.
“While overall crime levels may be lower than in major cities, we continue to see significant issues relating to county lines drug dealing, fraud, rural crime, organised criminality, illegal immigration and anti-social behaviour.
"Any future policing model must recognise those challenges and ensure rural counties receive the resources and attention they require."
The Commissioner acknowledged there may be opportunities to strengthen specialist capabilities through greater collaboration or shared services, particularly in areas such as fraud and serious organised crime.
However, Mr Passmore said reform should not come at the expense of neighbourhood policing: "There may well be opportunities to enhance specialist policing functions and improve efficiency through collaboration.
“We should always be open to sensible change.
"But reform must not compromise the visibility of policing in our communities or weaken the connection between local people and the police.
"If significant structural changes are proposed, there must be a clear evidence base demonstrating how they would improve policing for Suffolk's residents and businesses."
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has also questioned proposals to significantly reduce the number of police forces.
Its Chair, Emily Spurrell, said: "We support reforms that strengthen national capabilities and specialist expertise, but that does not automatically mean larger forces.
"The case for modernisation and a National Policing Service is clear.
"The case for reducing 43 forces to nine regional 'mega-forces' is not."