Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

The Coalition Government has published a consultation paper ‘Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting Police and the People’ The central features of the proposals are
* the first elections of police and crime commissioners to hold police forces to account and strengthen the bond between the police and the public in May 2012
* creation of a new National Crime Agency to lead the fight against organised crime and strengthen our border security;
* greater collaboration between police forces to increase public protection and drive savings
* phasing out the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
* cutting bureaucracy, removing restrictive health and safety procedures and freeing up officers’ time; and
* a clear role for everyone, including members of the public, in cutting crime through beat meetings, neighbourhood watch schemes and voluntary groups.
It is planned that the new Agency will lead the fight against organised crime, protect UK borders and ‘provide services best delivered at national level’. It is envisaged that the Agency will exploit the intelligence, analytical and enforcement capabilities of the existing Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and better connect these capabilities to those within the police service, HM Revenue and Customs, the UK Border Agency and a range of other criminal justice bodies.
Many of these proposals will feature in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, to be published in autumn 2010.