Mayors may get control of police

7:50am Friday 18th July 2008

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DIRECTLY-ELECTED mayors could be given control over local police under Government plans.

And if the scheme gets the go-ahead, Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon – the former head of the town’s CID who was “required to resign”

from Cleveland Police – will be given control of policing for the borough.

Similar powers would be given to Stuart Drummond, the directly-elected mayor of Hartlepool.

The proposals are contained in a Government Green Paper, entitled Policing Our Communities Together, which also pledges to sweep away much-criticised police red tape and targets.

Mr Mallon said last night that the shake-up would make little difference for Middlesbrough as he has “a very good relationship” with Councillor Dave McLuckie, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority and the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Sean Price.

“I don’t think it would make any difference in Middlesbrough, as we regularly confer, but on the general concept I can definitely see merit,” he said.

But that view was not shared by Coun McLuckie who described aspects of the Green Paper as “a recipe for chaos”.

He is worried by proposals which would see crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CPRs) – which are made up of police, local councillors, fire and rescue authorities and primary care trusts – form the majority of members on a police authority.

The CPRS would have their own directly-elected leaders – an elected mayor or a directly- elected police chief.

Coun McLuckie said: “When it comes to changing police authorities the Government seems to have got itself in a complete muddle.”

The Association of Police Authorities warned there was a “very real danger” of extremists hijacking the elections to seize control of local policing.

But that fear was dismissed by the Home Office, which said: “We believe that policing is a serious issue and that voters will treat the opportunity to elect their police leader seriously.”

Mr Mallon, who was strongly criticised by former Cleveland Chief Constable Barry Shaw, was suspended from Cleveland Police in December 1996, amid an investigation into police corruption.

Although no criminal charges were brought, he admitted 14 disciplinary charges at an internal inquiry in February 2002, ranging from neglect of duty, falsehood and discreditable conduct, when he was “required to resign” from the force.

Mr Mallon later said he was innocent and had only admitted the offences in order to run for mayor.