SOUTH Yorkshire Police Federation is backing calls for a Royal Commission into Policing.<\/p>\n
The last police review took place in 1962 although earlier this year MPs discussed whether a fresh commission was needed to investigate how policing is run and funded.<\/p>\n
Now PFEW Chairman John Apter has reopened the debate by calling for an end to the \u2018postcode lottery\u2019 of policing funding which can see some forces better resourced than others.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a move backed by South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Royal Commission would be welcome because it would shine a light on things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an easy one-stop material source to analyse the weaknesses within the police force and the things that need to be dealt with.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would get quite a lot of media traction and would be quite impactive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI totally agree that there needs to be an inquiry into policing in terms of the postcode lottery funding because it\u2019s bizarre that you get forces where the demographics are there\u2019s more people who will pay less in council tax and so therefore their police forces are funded less.\u201d<\/p>\n
That has an impact on the South Yorkshire force.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are one of the poorest metropolitan forces because we don\u2019t have a high precept from council tax,\u201d Steve said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we rely on central funding which isn\u2019t given out to make up for that – areas in the country that naturally probably need policing the most get funded the worst. How can that make sense?<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be another look into that and see if that can be recognised and if the balance can be changed.\u201d<\/p>\n