Too many police chiefs? - A review of police strength and costs in England & Wales 2010

SUMMARY OBSERVATIONS - THE PROS AND CONS OF FORCE MERGERS Duplicated efforts

Services which could sensibly be organised at a national level are not, so each of the 43 forces must independently develop and run their own. For example, there is no single national IT system that forces can use. The 43 forces pay 43 times to develop 43 different IT systems. Not only is this clearly a waste of money but, as the Soham case indicates, the incompatibilities of the systems can have tragic consequences.

The same is true of other key administrative systems such as HR and payroll. The incompatibilities in forces’ equipment, from radios to riot shields, cause practical problems – but they also waste cash. Bulk-buying would bring down the cost of the items in question.

There are savings to be made in areas where buying services on a larger scale makes sense. Kent Police Authority advises that their collaboration with Essex has generated savings of £2.8 million since 2007. Inter force collaboration can also provide services which would otherwise be out of forces’ reach; Gloucestershire and Avon & Somerset share a helicopter which neither force would be able to afford on its own. It is clear that there is huge potential for savings to be made.

Economies of scale

As we have seen, there are numerous examples of inter-force collaboration and joint procurement lowering costs. Better use of premises and specialist and technical resources have been identified as areas for potential savings. Staffing, particularly in administrative areas such as IT, communications, HR and support, could also yield cost savings, as could unified IT services.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has calculated that potential savings from merging existing forces could amount to up to £2.25 billion over ten years, so it seems reasonable to assume that at least this level of savings could be achieved. A greater pressure for value for money will lead to cost reductions of this kind. That pressure will come from greater accountability.

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