Concerns wide-ranging police reform will take away the public's voice in policing and cost more money, Wiltshire PCC warns

Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has voiced concerns that wide-ranging police reform will take away the public’s voice on policing - and end up costing more money without an uplift in local policing service or crime fighting ability.

Philip Wilkinson said that despite the clear need for policing reform, and there was much in the paper he supported, the new planned police structure unveiled in the Home Office’s white paper will place unprecedented power at the centre.

He also stressed that big, regional and national, super forces would suck money from local communities and coupled with plans to merge local forces, and introduce local policing boards after the abolition of the PCC role, would mean local accountability is lost.

Read the full PCC statement here.