A REPORT on the future shape of policing in Hampshire has set alarm bells ringing among campaigners in Petersfield, who have already lost one battle to stop merger plans. There was a massive outcry in Petersfield last year when police announced plans to merge Petersfield and Whitehill stations into the new Longmoor sector. Petersfield lost its inspector, and all response officers now begin and end their duties at Whitehill, coming under Whitehill's Inspector Gerry Thorne. This week Hampshire Police have sent their initial report to the government after Home Secretary Charles Clarke asked all authorities to look at the creation of "strategic police forces." Although Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan's preferred option is to keep Hampshire as an independent force, he has not ruled out the possibility that Hampshire could be merged with Dorset or Wiltshire constabularies - or both. This week Brian Dutton, who was at the forefront of Petersfield's fight against the Whitehill merger last year, told The Herald he had grave concerns about the report. "I believe this is regionalisation via the back door," he said. "Petersfield has suffered enough already through its merger with Whitehill. I feel the centre of policing is being moved further and further away from the towns and villages it covers." Mr Dutton, who is a Petersfield town and an East Hampshire district councillor, said basic command units were spread all over the area already. "Where would they be based if Hampshire merged with Wiltshire and Dorset?" he asked. "I believe these strategic police forces are an attempt to move police so forces come under regional government. "I admire Paul Kernaghan for putting up a stand for Hampshire to remain independent, but I don't believe the government will recognise that option at all. "I believe this is a case of damn the consequences for the residents, not only of Petersfield but those of all the villagers in the area." The Hampshire Police response follows the publication of the Home Office "Closing the Gap" report, which examined whether the present police structure was able to meet the challenges posed by current and future policing needs. A project team involving representatives from Hampshire Police Authority and Hampshire Constabulary collected data on how the force interacted with neighbouring forces and how it delivered "protective services". They defined protective services as counter terrorism and domestic extremism, serious organised and cross-border crime, civil contingencies and emergency planning, critical incident management, public order and strategic roads policing. The options offered by Mr Kernaghan and Mike Attenborough-Cox, chairman of the Hampshire Police Authority, were: l Hampshire Constabulary remains as an independent force with additional investment in protective services; l Merger of Hampshire with Dorset and Wiltshire; l Merger of Hampshire with Dorset. This week Mr Kernaghan said: "My goal, and that of Hampshire Police Authority, is to provide the best possible service to the residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. "I believe Hampshire is well placed to perform as a strategic force and that is my personal preference. However I recognise that there is a national dimension to be considered. "Thus two additional options have been submitted to the Home Secretary. If he decides amalgamations are required locally those options represent the best possible solutions based on professional judgement." Mr Attenborough-Cox added: "Our main priority throughout the process of identifying options for whether Hampshire Constabulary would merge with other forces has been to ensure that the options we put forward are those that will best serve the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight." "We will now have to wait and see if the Home Office agrees with our thinking, then we can gather the views of residents, staff and our partners before submitting a final proposal towards the end of the year."
