Sussex Police Chief Slams Plans for Giant ‘Super-Forces’
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE has slammed the government’s shocking plan to merge police forces into massive “super-forces.” She warns bigger isn’t better and fears these mega-forces will wreck local policing as we know it.
‘Too Big to Manage’ – Why Mergers Could Backfire
Reacting to the proposals unveiled this week, Bourne said Britain’s current police setup is “envied and admired worldwide.” But smashing forces together risks making policing “too big to manage, too important to fail, and too cumbersome to hold accountable.”
She pointed to Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police as cautionary examples. Both have struggled with local crime and faced calls to break up. Bourne admitted sharing tech and equipment is handy but argued national bodies like Bluelight Commercial and the Police Digital Service already handle that efficiently.
Local Trust at Risk as Communities Lose Their Police
Bourne warned the government’s Westminster-driven plans could break the vital bond between police and local communities. She said:
“Trust in policing begins with feeling that your police force is drawn from the community it serves. Breaking that local relationship risks undoing the trust and confidence that county constabularies have built with residents and businesses.”
She slammed past target-focused models that turned officers into reactive “firefighters,” gutted neighbourhood policing and urged support for locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners to keep police transparent and community-focused.
Funding Fears and Secret Talks Spark Alarm
Funding worries also loom large. Bourne warned super-forces would need brand-new funding rules. Currently, local taxpayers cover over 60% of police budgets in some areas. She fears a “National Police Service in all but name” will prioritise red tape over frontline needs like neighbourhood policing, antisocial behaviour, and road safety.
Bourne also blasted the cloak-and-dagger approach to these plans. “The fact that planning for these force mergers has been conducted out of public sight and without consultation from those responsible for police governance shows Ministers and Chief Constables are nervous about how these massive changes will be received by the public.”
She ended with a stark warning about rushing reforms alongside local authority shake-ups:
“Reform in haste, repent at leisure. A National Police Service in the hands of extremists and populists has a worrying historical echo to it.”
Bourne insists future police reform must protect local accountability, strong neighbourhood policing, and – above all – public trust.
