Strategic partnership with Humberside Police “bad news”

SOUTH Yorkshire Police has launched a “strategic partnership” with Humberside Police with more shared roles to include firearms response and roads policing.

Matthew Grove, Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, said it was not a merger, but will build on the existing shared roles in IT and human resources. Dr Alan Billings, PCC for South Yorkshire. said he was looking forward to implementing “some highly effective efficiency savings.”.

Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police, said the move was “bad news all round.”

He added: “This is about sharing specialist services – mounted unit, roads, firearms, dogs, tactical support groups. They are going to be amalgamated under one management structure to save money.

“There will be a loss of posts. We have already seen a reduction in dog handlers at South Yorkshire – from 40 to 24. Now we have learned that will be reduced to 9 [under the new arrangements]. Dogs are an essential frontline tool and to see only nine remaining across the county is ridiculous.

“Even if Humberside have nine, we can foresee a situation where they may be only one or two on nights covering both counties. By the time the dog has arrived, the scent will be lost, the containment gone – and they will have to travel huge distances.”

Mr Bowles continued: “This is bad news all round. These decisions are not being made to provide a better service, they are being made to save money. And communities will suffer as a result.”

Both Forces have collaborated extensively for many years on a variety of support functions such as IT and Human Resources, and this work will consider which other areas can be delivered more effectively in a joint arrangement over the next two to three years.

The PCCs said they will create a joint team to forge closer collaboration but that each force will retain its identity.

The team responsible will work closely with both the Commissioners and Command Teams to look at new innovative ways to deliver cost effective policing across each of the Forces.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “All police forces across the UK are struggling with the continued cuts to the policing grant. We now have to look to do things more efficiently and smarter.”