The Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) said today that proposals released by the Home Secretary for "community advocates" to scrutinise local policing run the risk of "reinventing the wheel".

The local democracy think tank believes that local authorities and councillors are best placed to scrutinise local policing priorities and develop multi-service strategies to combat crime and the fear of it.

Dennis Reed, Chief Executive of the LGIU, said: "Very few people in public life would not share the Home Secretary's passionate desire to enable local communities to make a fuller contribution to combating crime in their area and for the police to be more accountable and in touch with the grassroots.

"However, the idea for 'community advocates' would risk reinventing the wheel with an unnecessary layer of officialdom. We already have well-established electorally accountable community advocates. They are known as local councillors.

"Their representative role is better understood and known in communities. The new 'community advocates' may take many years to register with local communities. The danger would then be that there could be more low-turnout elections and the new posts would undermine local authorities, without being successful in themselves.

"Rather than pursuing this fragmented approach, councils should be given a greater role in local police scrutiny. This would have a treble benefit. It would promote rigorous scrutiny of policing priorities, leading to a joined-up approach to fighting crime, co-ordinating policing with local authority functions such as housing, education and social services. It would put pressure on councillors to ensure that they are in touch with those who elect them and oblige more local people to make their views known through local elections. Moreover, the police may find that limiting the number of local meetings that they are required to attend gives them more time for actual policing."

ENDS

For further information contact:

Kevin Morton Tel. 020 7554 2858; Mobile 07958 314846; E mail kevin.morton@lgiu.org.uk

Mary Wimbury Tel. 020 7554 2845; Mobile 07958 521344; E mail mary.wimbury@lgiu.org.uk

Notes to Editors

1. The Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) is Britain's foremost independent local democracy think tank, campaigning to extend local authority best practice, freedoms and responsibilities. Recent initiatives have included the Commission on Local Governance and the LGIU is working to influence the debate on local government modernisation. The LGIU and its sister organisations The Education Network (TEN) and the Democratic Health Network (DHN) and provide research, policy briefings, information, advice, training and lobbying services to local authority and trade union affiliates. Previous LGIU news releases and statements can be viewed at www.lgiu.gov.uk

Police plan not much cop