Another strategic force alliance breaks down
Gloucestershire Police is to withdraw from its alliance with Avon and Somerset Police and Wiltshire Police.
Police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Gloucestershire Martin Surl has decided to end the triple alliance, which began in 2012 as a cost-cutting and efficiency arrangement.
Mr Surl said it was “time to review” the arrangement, and the alliance will cease in April 2019.
It was put in place to provide more efficient policing for roads, dogs and firearms across the three force areas, and a new plan is due to only focus on a pooling of firearms resources between them.
Wiltshire Police and Avon and Somerset Police will continue to collaborate on police dogs and road policing.
Mr Surl said: “We feel it needs tinkering with. We have agreed we will strengthen our partnership around the firearms where the greatest risk is.
“We in Gloucestershire feel we need those officers of the road policing unit and the dogs here supporting neighbourhood policing, supporting response teams.’
He added that the new plan will provide more efficient and effective delivery of policing in Gloucestershire.
Wiltshire PCC Angus Macpherson said: “The three forces have been working together amicably and constructively to determine how best to configure specialist policing resources across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Avon & Somerset. This includes armed policing, roads policing and policing with dogs.”
Mr Macpherson confirmed that his force will continue to work with the Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset forces on firearms, and with Avon and Somerset Police on the delivery of police dog and road policing.
In a brief statement, Avon and Somerset PCC Sue Mountstevens said that she hopes that the new alliance for firearms delivery will be “finalised soon”.
The breakdown of the tri-force alliance comes just ten days after West Mercia Police withdrew from its alliance with Warwickshire Police, which had also been implemented in 2012, and not long after Devon and Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez scrapped merger plans with Dorset Police because of problems with Council Tax harmonisation.
The developments have prompted National Crime Agency Director General Lynne Owens to speak out about forces disinvesting in serious and organised crime capability. She also proposed a radical shake up of police funding arrangements to match reviews taking place of national, regional and local capability and capacity requirements.
