South Yorkshire and Humberside Police announce further collaboration plans

Two forces in the North of England have entered into a strategic partnership.

South Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police said sharing support services will help protect front line officers and staff, and keep community policing local.

Both forces already collaborate extensively on a variety of support functions such as IT and Human Resources. The partnership will consider which other areas can be delivered more effectively in a joint arrangement over the next two to three years.

The forces said they will examine which savings are feasible and how service to the public can be maintained. They anticipate collaboration in specialist areas such as firearms and roads policing.

This will sit alongside existing regional arrangements such as scientific support and serious and organised crime.

South Yorkshire PCC Dr Alan Billings and Humberside PCC Matthew Grove reiterated that both forces will retain their own identity during the collaboration.

Mr Grove, said: “My priority is to reduce crime, improve support to victims and protect the public while balancing the budget and ensuring value for money. I am prepared to examine all potential opportunities that allow these outcomes to be delivered.

“In a time of austerity we must protect the number of frontline officers and staff as much as possible to deliver an effective police service for our residents. This enhanced partnership will explore all opportunities to do that.”

Dr Billings said: “All police forces across the UK are struggling with the continued cuts to the policing grant. We now have to look to do things more efficiently and smarter.

“I am extremely pleased to be collaborating with Humberside Police and look forward to implementing some highly effective efficiency savings.”

A number of forces, including Warwickshire and West Mercia, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and most recently Wiltshire and Avon and Somerset, have entered into strategic alliances in order to make the financial savings required while providing an acceptable standard of service to the public.

Norfolk Constabulary and Suffolk Constabulary also collaborate on around 80 per cent of backroom functions, though have not yet entered into a formal alliance.