Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Evison has issued a robust response to the Government’s newly published White Paper “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”.
While welcoming the drive for modernised national standards, the PCC has vowed to ensure the region’s unique local needs are not sacrificed in a move toward centralisation.
The White Paper outlines a significant structural shift for British policing, including creation of a National Police Service (NPS) to lead the fight against serious organised crime, and a transition from the elected PCC model to a Police and Crime Board by May 2028.
A Position of Strength
PCC Evison highlighted that under his governance, the force has reached its highest officer numbers since 2008, through sound financial planning and a robust reserves strategy.
“In Humberside, I haven't waited for a White Paper to tell us to prioritise our residents. We have built a high-performing force that is the envy of many. The expertise we have gained in managing this growth is directly transferable to a national model, but it must not come at the cost of local accountability.”
Concerns Over Centralisation and ‘League Tables’
The White Paper proposes a new performance framework with league-table style measures. PCC Evison challenged the efficacy of this approach, noting that Humberside’s success is rooted in an ethos of "doing the right thing" rather than chasing arbitrary benchmarks.
“Targets can drive poor decision-making. Outcomes matter. Over-reliance on centrally managed performance targets risks skewing priorities away from locally defined safety concerns toward meeting numerical benchmarks that may not reflect real community experience.”
The PCC also expressed scepticism regarding the 2028 transition. He warned that replacing a single, visible, and democratically elected PCC with a multi-member Board could dilute the link between the taxpayer and the police, effectively stripping the public of their right to choose their Local Policing Lead.
Navigating the ‘New World’
While acknowledging the benefits of a ‘British FBI’ to handle borderless cyber-crime and fraud - potentially freeing up local officers for ‘high-street’ issues like shoplifting - PCC Evison raised concerns regarding regional mergers:
- Regional Risks: Moving to regional serious organised crime forces risks Humberside losing resources to larger conurbations like Leeds or Sheffield.
- Public Sentiment: In a recent survey, only 14.8% of the Humberside public were convinced that a regional force would bring any local benefit.
- Professional Licensing: PCC Evison questions the introduction of mandatory professional licensing for officers, calling it a "wasted focus" given the force's already rigorous vetting and training standards.
A Promise to Residents
"My message to the people of Hull, the East Riding, and Northern Lincolnshire is simple: Governance may evolve, but the mission remains the same. I will continue to advocate strongly for your interests, ensuring that reforms enhance - not diminish - the quality, responsiveness, and accountability of policing at the local level.”
For further information contact Paul Wainwright on 01482 220788 / 07464 985368 or paul.wainwright@humberside.police.uk
FAQs: The Future of Policing in Humberside
In principle I support an ambition to improve policing collectively and work to restore public confidence in policing. I do not believe this governments plans to reform policing will have the desired impact. We need reform that will restore public confidence in policing, drive up standards, and ensure taxpayers receive value for money. Any change needs to be cost effective, practical, evidence-led, and focused on what delivers safer streets and stronger communities.
Because effective reform should build on success, not dismantle it or rebadge it. In areas like Humberside where policing is improving, and inspection results are strong it is important that reform reinforces proven local leadership and accountability rather than imposing unnecessary costly structural change.
PCCs embody a core principle of direct democratic accountability. They provide clear local leadership, a single point of responsibility, and a direct mandate from the public. Removing PCCs risks replacing a clear, voter-accountable role with more opaque governance structures, weakening public trust rather than strengthening it. Local people will not directly choose their Local Policing Lead in Humberside under the new model. It will be chosen by elected officials, not the public and that seems a backwards step in bringing the public and the police closer together.
National standards can play a useful role in driving consistency and raising performance in underperforming areas. However, they should not override local judgement or penalise forces that are already delivering strong results. We need to be clear that the strongest performing forces are certainly not the largest.
Yes. We already have strong national coordination through the National Crime Agency. We also have Regional Organised Crime Units held via host force regional governance. With those in place we still must invest locally due to competing demands between those four regional forces. I have grave concerns if all activity is driven to be regionally hosted, independent of our local Chief Constable. Humberside could lose resources and see them focused in the likes of Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.
Centralisation risks distancing decision-making from communities and frontline officers. I have always advocated for visible, neighbourhood-based policing. Any reform that unintentionally reduces local responsiveness or weakens community engagement would run counter to that objective.
The PCC will continue to work constructively with Government to ensure policing reform delivers safer streets, strong neighbourhood policing, and clear accountability. Where Humberside is performing well, the priority must be to protect that progress and ensure local people continue to have a strong, democratic voice in how their communities are policed.
