ABSTRACT
The University of Portsmouth survey identified a cross-section of reformed local police authority (LPAs) and the backgrounds and interests of their independent members. One of the more interesting features of the new LPA arrangements is the differing views expressed by those able to compare old and new police authorities. The Police and Magistrates Courts Act (PMCA) give the police authority significant and new responsibilities. It will be responsible, in conjunction with the chief constable, for developing an annual Local Policing Plan, which will identify both national and local policing objectives. As with the initial selection process of independents, no guidance had been provided by the Home Office on the preparation of the police authority annual report. Government policy, enshrined in the PMCA, is that the dedicated staffing of a police authority needs the agreement of the chief constable and, in the absence of such agreement, determination by the Secretary of State.
