Beds and Herts announce landmark collaboration

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire police forces will begin working together to provide joint services after their authorities approved business cases in three key areas last week.

The forces will now develop plans to establish a joint Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire dog section, professional standards department and scientific services – including a joint chemical laboratory facility.

If approved by both authorities in February 2009, the new joint units will be operational by April 2009 and will produce savings in the region of £650,000 per annum. The amount will be re-invested in frontline policing across the two counties.

The savings will be made as follows:

•The dog unit will save approximately £360,000 per annum, through a joint training capability led by an inspector to be recruited from either force.

•The professional standards unit will save approximately £170,000 per annum.

•Joint scientific services will save £119,000 per annum in the first full year with additional savings expected from the second year of operation. Work will align closely with the major crime unit which is already in operation on a joint basis.

The proposals were developed in consultation with staff by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Joint Collaboration Programme, set up to explore opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and resilience across a range of key policing services. Their work is overseen by the Joint Police Authority Collaboration Group (JPACG).

Peter Conniff, chair of Bedfordshire Police Authority and the JPACG said: “Collaboration can bring enormous benefits, such as increased resilience and economies of scale. These further arrangements are about broadening the scope of the collaborative work between the two counties to deliver improved policing over the coming years.”

Stuart Nagler, chair of Hertfordshire Police Authority, said: “Collaboration with other forces and key partners in the county provides excellent opportunities. Both Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire are keen to build on the significant success achieved through the formation of a joint major crime unit last year, which has already been heralded as a ‘ground-breaking’ initiative by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).”

Head of the Joint Collaboration Programme, Chief Superintendent Steve Ottaway, said: “Collaboration is becoming an ever-more important part of the way policing is delivered and the programme team is continuing to assess other work areas that have been identified as potentially suitable for collaborative effort.

“The work being conducted is at the forefront of national good practice. Colleagues from other forces are expressing keen interest in our progress and will be visiting us next week for an open day, where we will look forward to outlining our processes and issues and answering their questions.”