Police reform and local government: new opportunities for improving local community safety arrangements in England and Wales

This paper considers the implications of the Green Paper on Policing 2003. It explores the issue of police amalgamations and the impact of this on police authorities. It looks at the role of Basic Command Unit (BCU) commanders and their partnership relationship with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). It considers the lack of accountability of both CDRPs and BCU commanders. It recommends the creation of local community safety authorities and the future inclusion of local police commanders within the local authority Chief Executive Group to enhance both efficiency and partnership arrangements. It argues that this would establish greater clarity in terms of local political accountability of both police and CDRP partners at local level.