The Thin Blue Line: The Case for Police Reform in England & Wales

This book has been written at a critical time for the police service following a decade of austerity that has seen police resources drastically reduced while the demands on the police have increased. The author examines the role of the police and the two main areas of public concern - crime and disorder. He discusses currrent police administration and organisation together with force mergers and collaboration and proposes a robust programme of reform at national, regional and local level that would see the existing 41 forces (excluding London) reduced to 25 police districts within a framework of nine regional police forces. His suggested reforms would see the replacement of local police and crime commissioners with unelected regional police commissioners who would be responsible for regional oversight and an efficient network of regional support services that are not currently available to all police forces. Each of the new police districts would be commanded by a chief constable who would work directly with re-constituted local police authorities to provide efficient local policing. The author recognises that there has to be the political will to drive essential reform and this book should stimulate and inform further debate on a mattter of increasing urgency if the police are to maintain the confidence, trust and support of the public it serves.