Whereas elections should always be democratic, democracy does not always require elections. Democracy is about accountability; the degree of ownership the governed have over the process of governance.
Every existing democratic election ranks somewhere between essential
and valuable. My concern is that bringing direct elections into the operation of individual public services with a
narrow remit is neither necessary nor always helpful in the process of making them accountable.
Police authorities currently include indirectly elected members from elected bodies and appointees. Members have diverse and appropriate backgrounds. The councillors bring accountability to the table but not a mandate.
A proposal in the policing green paper to replace councillors with a directly elected Crime and Policing Representative (CPR) for each Basic Command Unit (BCU) is a vote too far. Is it really the intention that party politics should be brought into the operational management of individual constabularies? How would ‘non-political’ elections be funded? How would CPRs deliver different policies in different places? Each CPR will be given a budget, but where from? BCU budgets are ‘old’ money, already committed to combatting crime.
These are minor problems compared to the frustration that could follow in the new authority. Conflict between ‘first and second class’ members is inherent in any hybrid system, as supporters of elected peers have yet to appreciate. The indirect election of councillors without a strong mandate ensures that elected members cannot claim a moral authority over the appointees.
Independent CPRs may attract extremists elected by default or on a low turnout. This is a real issue where the public are not convinced of the value or efficacy of their vote, as seen in both European and parish elections. I doubt whether adding another election, involving a narrower mandate with limited influence, will stimulate greater participation through voting.
Giving only higher tier local authorities automatic representation on the new police authorities does not bode well for future relationships with lower tier authorities, despite the success of strategic partnerships. All of the problems of direct elections are multiplied with the concept of a democratically elected local police commissioner. This may still be the Conservative idea of accountability.
How do we make the police more accountable? First, it is not at authority level where accountability is lacking: it is on our streets and estates. Every area now has an established Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT). A good SNT is in touch with its community and responds accordingly. Here, with Neighbourhood Watches and Key Individual Networks feeding in, is where accountability should happen. Where individual people can text, phone or email both police and local authority SNT staff, then community security is enhanced and a step is taken towards reducing the fear of crime.
Our local authorities have matured in the scope, depth and methods of their scrutiny. Already formal links between the NHS and local authority scrutiny committees are being built and some chief constables are no stranger to this process. Public questioning of senior officials about their roles is the other arm of making the police more accountable.
These are the ways forward. Direct elections are likely to promise more than they can deliver and prove disappointing. The idea is unpopular with the police, actively opposed across local government and is no cause celèbre with the general public.
The green paper will enhance our police service, make it more effective, more joined up and more appropriate to our diverse country’s needs. It gives police authorities an over-riding duty to reduce the fear of crime. Everything else is an operational measure. The green paper contains many good ideas – but directly elected police authorities is not one of them.
Why is it that no one seems to be in favour of this balmy idea except for the Home Secretary. It is time that Jacqui Smith listened to the Party and accepts that on this matter she is in a very small minority.
Absolutely right – this is Jacqui Smith following the Tories and LibDems on direct elections, blind to what the public and the party want. She may be damaged at the moment having dropped 42 days, but she will surely have to drop this one too?
We should be getting ready for the next election, and the fight of our lives. This is a badly devised distraction.
I support direct elections for Mayors, because they are all about having a proper manifesto to stand on. But making direct elections for the single-issue of police is not right. Police don’t exist in a vacuum, crime is a wide issue for the community, and touches on many different areas. We should have people elected to represent their constituents and communities, not representing organisations.
As a “golden mean” compromise between these two views where each has some good merit, probably we should instead be subjecting — before their appointment confirmation — the local police heads to open public Congressional Hearing type scrutiny by the corresponding local bodies/councils? This may help inject a further dose of transparency and public acceptability of the police chief, without risking to make him/her a law unto themselves (and at loggerheads with the MPs) — which delusion a directly elected chief may be prone to suffer from.