Views sought on possible police force merger

A survey has been launched asking people in Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly to share their opinions on a proposed government move to merge police forces.

In January, the government confirmed its intention to merge the existing 43 forces across England and Wales into larger, regional forces as part of reforms.

The survey from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has been launched to raise awareness of the initial plans and allow people to have their say.

Devon and Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez said it was not clear yet whether increasing the area the force covered would make the service any better.

An Independent Review of Police Force Structures is being carried out to advise the government on how to take the force merger plans forward.

The review is currently engaging with a wide range of policing and community stakeholders.

The office for the PCC said the review had not asked the views of the public so it was unclear if it had popular support.

Hernandez said: "It is not yet clear what savings, if any, will be achieved under the reforms.

"My view is it needs to demonstrated how a merger will benefit the size and complexity of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

"I would urge everyone to have their say in my survey because it could make a real difference."

Questions in the survey include whether Devon and Cornwall Police should merge with other local forces.

People are also asked about the potential benefits and risks of mergers and what impact they could have on policing.

Hernandez said it was "vital" the government did not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to any reforms.

"Our force area is already extremely large due to our unique geography and there are specific policing requirements for our region, including an influx of tourists in the summer," she said.

"A merger of any scale would make our force area become significantly bigger but what is not yet clear is whether that means services will be better.

"It will make it harder for strategic partnerships to remain connected and I have questions about how accessible the top leaders will be."

The proposal to cut the number of police forces in England and Wales from 43 to 10 or 12 "mega forces" is part of wider plans to reform policing.

The government also previously announced it planned to scrap the role of PCC when their current terms end in 2028.

The deadline to take part in the survey is 12 July.

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