Voters will return to the polls this November in elections for new police and crime commissioners. The Labour party was opposed to their introduction because it would contribute to a reduction in police numbers. It is difficult enough to ensure world-class public services at a time of reckless austerity cuts. It is even more difficult to maintain highly valued services in the face of additional unnecessary cuts. The cost of holding the November elections may be £100m. This is money better spent on frontline policing. The coalition may not have won the argument, but it has rushed through this policy. The problem that now confronts us is how to best improve criminal justice in these challenging circumstances. The good news is that Labour is ready to lead.

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s shadow home secretary, delivered a powerful speech to the Association of Chief Police Officers yesterday. She readily acknowledges the obstacles ahead, but also the evidence-based policies backed by firm commitment to succeed where the coalition is failing.

We should be under no illusions about the unnecessary and often large-scale problems created by a coalition government that is out of touch with the priorities of citizens and the need for effective criminal justice. While she accepts that savings must be found from policing, Cooper argues that the coalition government’s cuts are too deep and too fast. For example, consider the following:

• 16,000 police officers lost;
• 5,000 officers cut from 999 units, neighbourhood teams, and traffic response;
• Contracting core police activities without a national framework to guarantee safeguards and standards conducted without public debate;
• Abolishing the forensic science service without satisfactory alternatives in place

These policies will contribute to a demoralised and greatly reduced police force where frontline services under substantial and unnecessary threat. This is not a criminal justice policy based upon results or aimed to secure public confidence, but a cynical and ideological leap into the abyss that gambles public safety. Cooper made clear that Labour will lead the fight to change direction and reverse the impending damage to Britain’s future policing.

But Cooper also addresses ‘the great unknown’: police and crime commissioners. There remain several ‘known unknowns’. For example, Cooper rightly expresses concerns about their electoral legitimacy if turnout is low. There are also questions left unanswered concerning the checks and balances within the new system between PCCs and chiefs. Much more must be clarified to avoid unnecessary uncertainties in future. So perhaps there is a case for postponing elections even for a few months to ensure that newly elected regime will be most effective.

Police and crime commissioners represent an excellent opportunity for Labour to best make the case that it is the party of law and order. Some excellent candidates for PCC have put themselves forward, including Vera Baird QC in my local Northumbria and whom I support to be our first police and crime commissioner. The PCCs will give Labour yet another means to trumpet the great success that is our commitment to being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime, a policy theme first stated by former prime minister Tony Blair and maintained by Cooper and Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s shadow lord chancellor and justice secretary.

Labour’s innovative approach to policing and criminal justice delivered record levels of crime reduction across the country and across multiple indicators. Part of this success was learning from past mistakes. Imprisonment is necessary for some offenders, but may be counterproductive to crime reduction efforts for many others. Labour led from the front in supporting new community sentencing efforts that addressed lawful reintegration without sacrificing punitive burdens on offenders. Furthermore, Labour introduced the use of restorative justice especially for juvenile offenders which has succeeded in reducing crime at reduced cost. Finally, Labour helped lead on reforming policing to better meet the needs of the public today. This led to the introduction of community support officers and an expansion of community watch schemes alongside now regular local meetings including the police and the public. Policing is about more than a strategy on crime, but about our public space and the community we want to share. Labour helped bring communities together to work alongside the police in a mutually cooperative way that contributed to real results. This is a long and firmly established record of excellence and accomplishment for which Labour should be proud and Cooper right to trumpet.

The introduction of elected police and crime commissioners offers Labour the opportunity to remind the public of Labour’s achievements. We should let the results speak for themselves. Labour is the party of law and order. Being tough on crime is about demonstrating crime reduction. We are not tough on crime if our policies make more crime likely however popular such rhetoric may sound at first. The good news for Britain is that Labour PCCs may help mitigate the unnecessary series of problems created by a coalition government out of touch. I continue to believe police and crime commissioners a good thing to improve policing and criminal justice policy. It is also a great opportunity to further extol the many benefits of a progressive approach to public policy.

Yvette Cooper is right to draw attention to the many deep problems the coalition government have created unnecessarily. This is a product of their rushed planning and lack of full consideration as well as a blind faith to austerity measures that simply haven’t delivered. But Cooper is also right to argue that Labour should and will launch an impressive campaign to ensure newly elected police and crime commissioners are Labour. This November may well create more political headaches for the coalition than their disastrous budget.

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Dr Thom Brooks lectures in political and legal philosophy at Newcastle University. His website is thombrooks.info and he tweets @thom_brooks

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Photo: Ian Britton