Police Merger Decision Deferment - Continuing the Fight to Save Beds Police

I haven't written on here yet about the topsy-turvy day last week when we experienced the great disappointment of a narrow vote by Beds Police Authority in favour of proceeding with merger plans, only to receive the excellent news that Herts Police Authority had voted to defer the decision pending deeper collaboration between the forces and consideration of joint working. The authorities will be looking again at the matter later in the year and with two forces, along with Beds Police Authority, in favour of merger, clearly the importance of the campaign to save Beds Police is greater than ever.

I attended the Beds Police Authority meeting, and was obviously very disappointed by the narrow 9-8 vote in favour of proceeding with a consultation on the proposal for a full merger. The two Bedford Borough Borough Council representatives expressed the will of the Full Council and voted against losing an independent police force for Bedfordshire. I will be meeting the Chief Constable, Gillian Parker, shortly to discuss the situation and I will stress that Bedford Borough Council is committed to working with other local public sector bodies, including the police, where practical, to help achieve the savings we all need to find in the current climate.

We need to show the respective Police Authorities, when they come to look again at the decision, that a merger is far too great a risk to local policing in our communities in Bedford Borough, and that sustainable savings through measures such as joint working across public sector bodies are preferable to the loss of a police force for Bedfordshire. I will continue this fight in the interests of local accountability and community safety in Bedford Borough.