Petition Raises Rural Crime Concerns Over Proposed Cumbria Police Merger
A petition calling for Cumbria to retain its own police force has been presented to the Home Office amid concerns over rural policing.
The petition was delivered by Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, and Libby Bateman, a Liberal Democrat candidate for Cumbrian mayor. It opposes Government proposals to reorganise police forces across England and argues that Cumbria's distinctive rural policing requirements should remain a key consideration as the plans are developed.
The Government is considering changes that could reduce England's 43 existing police constabularies into as few as 12 or 15 larger regional forces. Under the proposals, Cumbria Police could be merged with other forces serving neighbouring areas, potentially creating much larger organisations covering substantial parts of northern England.
The proposed restructuring has prompted discussion about how policing would operate across a county with a large geographical area and many rural and isolated communities. Supporters of keeping policing locally organised have raised concerns about whether a larger regional structure could maintain the same level of local knowledge and visibility in communities that are spread across a wide area.
Rural crime has been highlighted as one of the issues at the centre of the debate. Figures referenced in connection with the petition indicate that a theft from a farm is reported to Cumbria Police on average every two and a half days, illustrating the frequency with which agricultural communities continue to report theft related incidents.
The petition campaign argues that policing requirements in Cumbria differ from those of more densely populated urban areas elsewhere in the North of England. Areas surrounding the county could include major urban centres in Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Durham and Greater Manchester under potential regional arrangements, raising questions about how policing priorities would be balanced across a much wider territory.
Libby Bateman said Cumbria was rural, dispersed and distinctive, with challenges that she said were different from those facing large cities elsewhere in the North. She also raised concerns about farmers experiencing repeated thefts and argued that local resources, decision making and knowledge should remain connected to communities across the county.
Tim Farron similarly called for greater attention to rural policing as the Government considers the future structure of forces. He said communities should have officers who understand local areas and the pressures experienced by farmers and rural businesses, while also expressing concern about the consequences of placing Cumbria within a much larger regional organisation.
The concerns expressed through the petition form part of a wider national debate about the proposed reorganisation of policing in England. The Government has presented the restructuring as a way of changing the current system of separate forces, while critics of mergers have questioned how larger organisations would affect local accountability and neighbourhood policing.
Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen has also publicly opposed the proposed merger. He has argued that neighbourhood and roads policing should remain local and has pointed to Cumbria's size, rural geography and seasonal population as factors that require a strong local policing presence.
The commissioner has also raised concerns about the resources required to implement any major restructuring. His position is that reorganising police forces without additional funding could place pressure on frontline services, while he has said that some elements of the Government's wider proposals, including national coordination in areas such as serious organised crime, counter terrorism, procurement and police technology, could have benefits.
The issue has also reached Parliament, where an Early Day Motion has raised concerns about the possible restructuring of Cumbria Constabulary. The motion refers to the county's sparsely populated areas, isolated communities and agricultural crime as examples of policing challenges that require appropriate resources and local accountability.
The debate comes as policing organisations and local representatives consider how any proposed changes could affect day to day services. Questions around response times, neighbourhood policing, rural patrols, local decision making and the distribution of officers are likely to remain part of the discussion as more details about the proposed structures emerge.
For communities in rural Cumbria, the potential changes have particular significance because the county covers a large area containing towns, villages, farms and remote locations. Maintaining effective communication and access to police services across those communities would remain an important consideration regardless of whether the current structure is retained or replaced by a regional model.
The petition adds another public demonstration of opposition to the proposed changes and calls for the Home Office to take account of Cumbria's specific circumstances. The Government's plans remain under consideration, meaning the final structure, boundaries and arrangements for any future police forces have not yet been determined.
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