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The Government appears to be set on having police and crime commissioners, but is this right for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland? We are lucky to live in an area which is extremely diverse, in all sorts of ways. The policing problems of Leicester city centre are worlds apart from those of the more rural market towns. And this would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find an individual who could speak for such a diverse set of communities. The problem could be that the entire process becomes yet another battleground for candidates from one of the main political parties. How can a commissioner, single-handedly, know and represent the views of almost one million people in an even-handed way? I think this could cause problems, leaving some areas feeling hard done by and unprotected. Many police forces cover urban and rural areas, and will be facing similar problems. It would be easy for a place or group to feel marginalised by the single commissioner approach. Instead, we need a chance to develop a response that is effective to our local community needs, one which embraces that variation between the city and rural areas, as well as facing the ever-changing profile of crime. The ‘one-size-fits-all' approach of police commissioners seems at odds with the age of localism and the Big Society that the new government is promoting. Why not let the precise arrangements for each police area be decided by the people of that area, rather than being told by the Government what is best for them. All governments seem unable to stop themselves micromanaging what we do locally. This Policing in the 21st century: Reconnecting police and the people White Paper is an opportunity to reform the way we control the police locally, and hold them accountable. It is a chance to tackle crime in an era of limited money, using new methods which ensure that criminals are punished while, at the same time, allowing the police to work even closer with other partners to reduce the emergence of crime in the first place. Producing a hybrid somewhere between what the Government wants and something which serves the needs of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland must be better for us all. I am interested to hear the views of others on this topic, and can be contacted at mailto:sarah@unthinkablesolutions.co.uk Sarah Hill is a district and county councillor from Market Harborough, with a special interest in policing.

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WHITEHALL

Let localities decide on policing

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