North West Police Collaboration
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| North West Police Collaboration | |
|---|---|
| Name | North West Police Collaboration |
| Formation | 2010s |
| Type | Police collaboration |
| Region served | North West England |
North West Police Collaboration is a regional partnership among multiple territorial police forces in North West England aimed at pooling resources, harmonising operations, and improving efficiencies across policing in Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Lancashire. The initiative developed alongside national reforms influenced by reports such as the Stevens Inquiry and legislative changes like the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, attracting attention from bodies including the Home Office, the National Policing Improvement Agency, and the College of Policing.
Background and formation
The collaboration traces roots to regional mergers and strategic reviews following incidents examined by the Leveson Inquiry and recommendations by the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). Early pilots drew on precedents from the Metropolitan Police Service mutual aid arrangements and bilateral agreements such as those between Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police. Political drivers included devolution debates involving the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, fiscal pressures from austerity policies promoted under cabinets led by David Cameron and Theresa May, and cross-border crime challenges highlighted by the 2011 England riots and organised crime analyses by National Crime Agency.
Participating forces and governance
Participating organisations typically include the territorial forces of Cumbria Constabulary, Cheshire Constabulary, Greater Manchester Police, Merseyside Police, and Lancashire Constabulary, coordinated with national bodies such as the National Police Chiefs' Council and oversight from elected Police and Crime Commissioners including those representing Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner, and counterparts in Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner. Governance structures reference models from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and draw on legal advice from entities like the Crown Prosecution Service and the Attorney General for England and Wales for memorandum frameworks. Strategic boards have included chief constables from forces such as Chief Constable Iain Hay-style leadership figures and chiefs inspired by models used in the West Midlands Police partnership.
Joint units and operational collaborations
Joint units emulate combined teams seen in the North East Counter Terrorism Unit and national capabilities such as the Regional Organised Crime Unit network. Examples include combined firearms units, shared major crime investigation teams, and cross-force public protection units that mirror functions of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in structure. Collaborative tactical support units work alongside specialist teams such as National Counter Terrorism Policing (UK) elements and coordinate with agencies like the Border Force and HM Revenue and Customs on organised crime operations.
Shared services and resources
Shared-service arrangements cover corporate functions modelled after consolidation projects in the Metropolitan Police Service and other public sector collaborations such as those between the NHS England trusts. These include joint human resources units reflecting practices from the Civil Service reforms, combined finance and procurement teams influenced by standards from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, and pooled custody suites similar to examples in collaborations involving Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Fleet management and coordinated estates strategies reference procurement frameworks used by the Crown Commercial Service.
Technology and information sharing
Information-sharing platforms align with national systems like the Police National Computer and interoperable communications inspired by the Airwave service and the rollout of Emergency Services Network. Joint IT procurement draws on frameworks similar to projects undertaken by the National Policing Improvement Agency and the Home Office Digital, Data and Technology directorate. Collaboration extends to shared analytical capabilities using techniques developed at the National Crime Agency and data governance informed by the Information Commissioner's Office and Data Protection Act 2018 compliance.
Accountability, oversight, and legal framework
Oversight mechanisms operate through Police and Crime Commissioners, HMICFRS inspections, and parliamentary scrutiny by committees such as the Home Affairs Select Committee. Legal structures derive from statutes including the Police Act 1996 and guidance under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, with contractual arrangements modelled on procurement law interpretations overseen by the Crown Commercial Service. Collaborative accountability engages the Independent Office for Police Conduct for complaints and disciplinary matters and interfaces with prosecutorial discretion exercised by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Impact and evaluations
Evaluations reference inspection reports by HMICFRS, analyses published by the Institute for Government, and academic studies from institutions like Loughborough University and the University of Manchester into cost savings, response times, and crime outcomes. Independent reviews have compared the collaboration’s efficiencies to regional models in Scotland and to joint ventures such as those in Wales policing, assessing effects on specialist capability retention, community policing visibility, and case clearance rates. Studies have also weighed integration challenges noted in reviews by think tanks including the Policy Exchange and the IPPR.