Joint firearms training unit for Dyfed-Powys, Gwent and South Wales Police
- 1 May 2012
- From the section Wales
As three Welsh police forces unveil a joint firearms training unit, a leading academic has predicted that such money-saving mergers will become more common.
Dyfed-Powys, Gwent and South Wales Police will unveil their new initiative on Tuesday.
Local government expert Tony Travers says co-operation between public sector bodies are the shape of things to come.
But he warned that such centralisation of services could leave more distant parts of the country "out on a limb".
Police insisted specialist resources would always be locally deployed.
The unit will bring together firearms training specialists from the three forces at Waterton, Bridgend.
It will employ 24 officers and members of staff, who will give firearms training to command, specialists and armed response vehicle officers.
Gwent deputy chief constable Jeff Farrar, who will lead the collaboration, said the unit's creation was "a fine example of neighbouring forces combining resources".
The forces said the collaboration would "increase access to resources and expertise", help standardise training to the highest level and create potential savings.
South Wales Police and Gwent Police have already unveiled joint legal services and forensic units.
'Squeeze on budgets'
Prof Travers, of the London School of Economics, said more such collaborations would undoubtedly follow.
"There will be a great deal more of this, not only with police but with fire services and other local authorities more generally," he said.
"The squeeze on budgets is going to go on not for three or four years but for seven or eight.
"The pressure on police forces and local authorities to reduce their costs is profound."
Prof Travers warned there was an inherent risk with this kind of reform.
"Particularly in Wales, where you have large rural areas and end up with joint provision over a very large area indeed, there a risk that the more peripheral areas will get worse services," he said.
"The most tempting thing with reforms of this kind is to have the main unit in one place, usually in or near an urban area.
"That leaves far flung areas a long way from the centre of expertise."
However the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) Cymru said the provision of armed police officers across the three force areas would not be affected by the merger.
"Even though management and back office functions may be centralised causing a significant change to internal operations, specialist resources will always be locally deployed and therefore members of the public will still receive a highly visible and responsive police service," said a spokesperson.
"Additionally, the money saved through collaboration, i.e. reduction in administration, estate and duplication of management, will enable more specialist staff to be out on the street providing a visible and effective policing service to local communities."
Assistant chief constable Nick Ingram of Dyfed-Powys Police said in creating the unit the forces wanted to provide services "that are efficient and provide the best value, both in terms of money and outcome, for our residents".
"We are committed to collaboration where it makes business sense," he said.
"Our main focus is to ensure that we maintain our level of performance and that we continue to safeguard our communities in Dyfed-Powys.
"Combining resources and expertise with other forces will ensure that our communities will continue to receive the high level of service they expect."
