Welwyn Hatfield MP warns of police merger (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Welwyn Hatfield MP warns of police merger

5:30pm Sunday 21st March 2010 in

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WELWYN HATFIELD MP Grant Shapps is using recently published police reports to argue against a merger between Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

Hertfordshire Police Authority has said it is expecting an application backed by both chief constables later this year, but Mr Shapps is vehemently opposed.

He warns that inspection results published earlier this month show Hertfordshire is a much better force, and fears a merged constabulary will be unable to maintain standards.

He said: "Herts is outperforming Bedfordshire Police in several categories.

"Herts scores as excellent at solving crimes, suppressing knife crime and service delivery – and good’ or good/excellent in most other areas.

"But Bedfordshire lags behind with not a single excellent or even good rating.

"Merging these two forces would be very damaging.

"If they merged, Beds would be like a millstone around Hertfordshire’s neck.

"More effort and resources would go to improving Beds Police than to maintaining the standard here.

"There is also an accountability problem – if a top police chief is concentrating on Bedfordshire’s lagging performance, he or she would have no time to answer to local people in Hertfordshire."