Anthony Screen, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety said:
"I strongly agree with Matt Smith, Chair of Staffordshire Police Federation, when he says policing needs reform, but only if it’s grounded in frontline reality. His words echo what too many in our communities already feel.
"While we are yet to see the detail, the Home Secretary’s white paper on policing reform looks less like giving policing back to the people, and more like creating larger and more distant policing structures where the government has more control. My concern is that these changes have been suggested without meaningful consultation with local communities who rely on policing every day.
"As Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience, my priority is simple: Staffordshire residents must be able to see who is in charge, how decisions are made, and how they can hold those people to account.
"As an ex-police officer myself, I know police officers, PCSOs, special constables and police staff in Staffordshire go out day and night to help their local communities, and are having to cope with rising demand. They are the ones who really know the communities they serve. They need clear leadership, proper resources and the professional space to police. Therefore, it’s essential that any reforms deliver stronger, clearer local accountability, give better support and protection for the whole police family, and have robust safeguards to ensure policing remains an impartial public service.
"We must let the police police, and make sure any changes serve the public and the frontline first and foremost.”