Liberal Democrats launch policing proposals

Under new Liberal Democrat proposals police chiefs would sign contracts with local communities setting out how many officers they would deploy. The "minimum policing guarantees" would set funding levels for local police for a rolling three-year period. The guarantees are part of the party's new plans to tackle crime. The plans include using money earmarked for the government's ID card plan to hire an extra 10,000 front line police and 20,000 community support officers.

The Lib Dems also want to spend more on technology and to create a national police agency to fight national and international crime. They have proposed forming a national border force to guard ports and airports to tackle cross-border terrorism, drug-smuggling and people trafficking. Meanwhile, retired police officers, and those nearing retirement, would be encouraged to stay on to help with paper work and pass on their experience.

Key proposals include:

• Creating a new National Police Agency to fight national and international crime - this will free local police forces to concentrate on local policing issues;

• Creating a new National Border Force to tackle cross-border terrorism, drug smuggling and organised immigration crime;

• Creating a new Financial Crime Directorate to detect and investigate complex financial crimes that often requires specialist knowledge and policing techniques.

In addition, the Liberal Democrats propose a new 'minimum policing guarantee' to be agreed between local people and Chief Constables; allowing police to cut the demands of filling in paperwork by using new technology like voice-recognition software; and increasing the use of local custody suites and local courts to reduce the amount of time police officers have to spend travelling to distant locations. If they were willing, near-retirement or retired police officers would be offered less strenuous duties within police forces to lessen the burden on front line officers. This would simultaneously boost front-line numbers while retaining the experience and knowledge of older police officers within forces.

Shadow Home Secretary Mark Oaten said "The Liberal Democrats have put forward detailed plans for police reform. Our proposals will make a serious and substantial difference to the way we tackle crime in this country. Michael Howard's Alf Garnett approach to criminal justice policy is more hot air than heavy-weight thinking. Crime doubled during the last Conservative government. Mr Howard's plans to build more prisons will simply not tackle crime, and will only add to the number of people who re-offend and to the UK's already record prison numbers. We need substance, not soundbites if we are to really tackle crime in this country."

Author of the Liberal Democrat policing proposals 'A Force to be Reckoned With' David Heath MP added "Our proposals seek to achieve multiple objectives: to better integrate national policing needs; improve the capacity of local forces to keep the peace and fight crime effectively in the communities they serve; make policing more accountable without compromising operational independence; and ensure that no matter where we live, be it inner city, suburb or rural England and Wales, we have the protection of a visible, responsive and successful police force."