Issue - meetings

Chief Executive to report

Authorised the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council to make appropriate representations to the Home Secretary for the inclusion of an option to retain the existing Cambridgeshire Police Authority in the forthcoming review of Police Forces in England and Wales, a copy of the letter will be circulated to partner organisations and stakeholders.

By way of a report by the Chief Executive (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were acquainted with the outcomes of a report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary – “Closing the Gap: A Review of the ‘Fitness for Purpose’ of the Current Structure of Policing in England and Wales”, the response by the Home Secretary and the timescale set for the consideration of options for the future restructuring of Police Forces in England and Wales.

Having expressed concern about the timescale involved, the potential impact on current neighbourhood policing and workforce modernisation initiatives and on the morale of the Force in Cambridgeshire, the apparent predisposition towards larger forces and the likelihood that there would be little substantive consultation on only a narrow range of options for change, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Chief Executive be authorised to make representations to the Home Secretary for a preferred option to retain the existing single force option in Cambridgeshire; and

  (b)  that the representations be copied to appropriate stakeholders and other interested parties.