Is police shake-up the right step? (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Is police shake-up the right step?

WILTSHIRE Police is too small to cope with the future threats of terrorism, extremism and organised crime, the Home Secretary has been warned.

Speculation is now rife that the force will be merged with Hampshire and Dorset to form a south west strategic force.

A report by Her Majesty's Inspecto-rate of Constabulary (HMIC), released yesterday, is expected to trigger a huge merger programme with the number of UK forces being significantly reduced.

It states that forces with fewer than 4,000 officers fall below the standards expected in protecting the public.

With only 1,228 Wiltshire Police is far below the threshold set by the HMIC and now seems almost certain to be shaken up.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke will discuss the impact of the findings with the country's 43 chief constables at a meeting in London on Monday.

The report written by former Surrey Chief Constable Denis O'Connor said small forces are unable to tackle organised crime because they do not have enough officers to act on intelligence.

It states: "Larger forces are likely to have much greater capability and resilience whilst smaller forces in many cases find it harder to provide the services to an acceptable standard.

"Forces with over 4,000, or 6,000 staff, tended to meet the standard.

"Forces below that size tended to fall someway short of the standard with in general the smallest forces faring the least well."

Wiltshire officers yesterday insisted they worked for a top performing force.

PC Phil Davenport, chairman of the Wiltshire Police Federation, said: "Any of the indicators that you judge us against show that we are a good performing force.

"I do not know what the rationale behind this is.

"I have not read the report and until I do I will not really be able to comment on whether I think what

they are saying is right."

The report lists five different options for shaking up the current structure, which was established 30 years ago. The most radical option includes forming large strategic forces working under a smaller number of new strategic police authorities.

The report states: "Although the clearest and most business like approach, it could be perceived by some to be most disruptive and locally friendly.

"This approach would require firm leadership, extensive support and national will."

Yesterday Tory MP Oliver Letwin speculated on Wiltshire joining Dorset (1,475 officers) and its larger neighbour Hampshire (3,803 officers).

He said: "If we are forced into amalgamations, the police will become more remote and the focus on neighbourhood policing will become even more blurred."

A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said: "Wiltshire Police Authority and the Wiltshire Police have now received the HMIC document and are considering the content.

"Wiltshire Police is consistently in the top quartile of performance tables. We know from consultation and engagement with our communities over time that the people of Wiltshire value greatly their local police force and local policing, locally delivered."

A spokeswoman for Hampshire Police said: "It is only speculation. We are not commenting on this until next week."

Nobody from Dorset Police was available for comment.