Devon and Cornwall and Dorset Police to collaborate in "all areas of policing"
Police in Devon and Cornwall and Dorset will review how the two forces can collaborate more effectively in “all policing areas”.
The review was revealed in a joint announcement from the Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners from both forces.
A project team is expected to carry out the review across a six month period, which will look into how to maintain a good service across both forces at a time when police budgets are decreasing.
Both forces will have to make savings in the next year with Devon and Cornwall police cutting its budget by £51m and Dorset Police cutting £10m by 2015.
The forces have said that any savings made by further collaboration will be used to protect front line policing, but an overall reduction in staff on both forces is expected to occur.
Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Shaun Sawyer said: “I fully understand that some officers and staff may feel unsettled by this announcement, however, I strongly feel this is the right thing for us to explore.
“We all have a duty to provide the very best service we can to our communities. The two forces share similar geography, history and values, with a mix of urban, rural and coastal communities.
“I believe that by working closely with our colleagues in Dorset, we have the opportunity to preserve the local policing that both our communities enjoy and demand.”
Chief Constable of Dorset Police, Debbie Simpson said: “The decision to explore how Dorset and Devon and Cornwall Police can better work together has come about because both forces are determined to put the public first while identifying the necessary savings. Both forces are strong performers and have broadly similar policing styles.
“There is also considerable trust between the two organisations. This considered we believe that taking a detailed look at our joint working arrangements is the correct thing to do.”
Both forces are already looking to combine some of their services including sharing forensics labs. This is a separate collaboration and includes several other South West police forces.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Tony Hogg said: “I have always said that collaboration is a key element to maintaining effective policing. There is a financial imperative to provide a continued policing service despite reducing funding, which means that we have to look at new ways to deliver our services.
“We are not content to see further reductions in the service we provide to our communities in order to make budget cuts and we share a desire to invest in our capability despite challenging budgets.”
Both forces maintain that the collaboration will have no “detrimental impact” on policing service and that there will be a maintained focus on neighbourhood
Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, Martyn Underhill said: “Budget restrictions faced by policing across the region are significant. Both Forces are faced with ‘real challenges’ to achieve further savings above and over what has already been made. This process cannot go on indefinitely. It is not possible to continually withdraw resources from the Force areas without it affecting the communities we serve.
“We have examined all options carefully to provide efficient policing across the region and are continuing to seek viable solutions. We have agreed to explore the concept of a strategic alliance and I look forward to working with Devon and Cornwall in the months ahead, in determining whether this is the right decision for Dorset.”
