In
response to the Government’s Green Paper on “Policing:
Building Safer Communities Together”, Peter Viggers,
Member of the Parliament for the Gosport constituency, made
the following representation to The Home Office:
“I am concerned
by the concept of direct elections to police authorities.
We are currently very well served
on the police authority by elected councillors, by magistrates
and by independent members. Together these are chosen to
provide a balance of skills and community representation
from the whole of Hampshire.
If the police authority were to be elected, I envisage
that those putting themselves forward would include those
who have strong views about the police based on their own
personal experience. The electorate would have little enthusiasm
for voting in such an election and I can foresee that some
thoroughly unsuitable people might able to generate a sufficient
campaign to get themselves elected.
I strongly believe
that the present system of nomination is far more effective
in producing a balanced police authority.”
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