SURREY Police faces an uncertain future following plans unveiled by Home Secretary Charles Clarke last week. Announcing that the number of police forces in England and Wales could be slashed from 43 to a mere 12, Mr Clarke outlined Home Office plans for regional "superforces". With Mr Clarke pointing toward a series of mergers in the South East, Mr Clarke wrote to Chief Constables across the country to outline his plans. Surrey Police has one of four options in the pipeline. The first choice is the proviso of two combined forces, with Surrey, Sussex and Kent amalgamating, alongside a coupling of Thames Valley and Hampshire. Another alternative is to unite Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, while retaining Kent and Thames Valley as independent constabularies. Third, Surrey is touted to combine with Hampshire, alongside a mingling of Kent and Sussex with Thames Valley serving as a stand-alone force. Mr Clarke's fourth proposal sees four forces in the South East, with Surrey and Sussex combining, while Kent, Thames Valley and Hampshire would remain as stand-alone forces. "The Home Office guidance has specified that we continue to work on a business case for our preferred option of a merger with Sussex. "However, the Home Office has broadened our options into also considering a merger with Hampshire or a merger with Kent," said Surrey Chief Constable Bob Quick. "The Home Office has discounted the option of a single South East region following assessment that it is not suitable for progression," he added. Supporters of the scheme say that larger police forces are more efficient and that the plans could save anything up to £2.3 billion over a decade. Yet Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have opposed the plans, noting that such reorganisation would shatter the link between police officers and local communities. The shake-up follows a Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report in September, which remarked that the current force structure was "no longer fit for purpose". Should the reforms occur, the changes will bring about the biggest police overhaul for more than 30 years.
