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Police Authority Chairman meets Probation Staff |
Police and Crime Commissioners could use their budgets to support probation in the fight against crime.
So said David Lloyd, Chairman of Hertfordshire Police Authority, when he met staff at Hertfordshire Probation Trust on Friday 2 September to find out more about their work.
He told probation staff there was no reason why police commissioners – the elected officials expected to start replacing police authorities in England and Wales during 2012 – could not spend some of their money on work carried out by probation, if it led to more joined-up working between the two organisations.
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill currently going through Parliament states that Police and Crime Commissioners must work with other criminal justice agencies.
After the meeting David said: "The Bill recognises that putting more police on the beat is only one way of reducing crime. For the most part we're dealing with the same people. Every person on probation has already been through the hands of the police.
"The Police Authority recognises the critical importance of working with our partners. I expect that the broad remit of the Police and Crime Commissioner will strengthen this so that all parts of the criminal justice system can work more closely together."
David, who is also Deputy Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and borough councillor for Dacorum, said: "Very few members of the public – and I count myself as a member of the public here – really understand what the probation service does. I was very impressed by what I heard from probation staff today, and it is clear to me that they have a vital role to play in reducing reoffending."
Tessa Webb, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Probation Trust, said: "Those of us working in probation are at the heart of the fight against crime, and we recognise how important it is for us to work closely with a wide range of partners and community leaders. I thought David's ideas were very interesting. It's essential we work together as a community to reduce reoffending."
To find out more about Hertfordshire Probation's work, visit www.hertfordshireprobation.org.uk
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 September 2011 09:54 |
