Essex's police commissioner has launched a blistering attack on plans to merge Essex Police into a regional "super force", warning the move could erode public trust and undo progress on crime.

Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said Essex should not pay the price for problems in the Metropolitan Police. A government-commissioned review led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe recommends England should have as few as nine regional police forces, down from 43 forces across England and Wales.

Rowley backs fewer, bigger forces

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has backed the overhaul, proposing eight to ten regional forces alongside a new National Police Service and more than 150 local policing units. He set out the case in a speech on Friday, 6 November, arguing the current system could not keep pace with increasingly sophisticated criminals and that merging forces would cut duplication.

Mr Hirst disagreed. "There is no doubt the Metropolitan Police needs reform. It is too large to be held accountable, serving a population of nine million people," he said. "Essex Police, serving a population of 1.9 million, which has cut crime, reduced anti-social behaviour and has a much better culture, should not pay the price."

Public opposition in Essex

A public consultation held in Essex over the summer found 69 percent of the 1,700 people who responded opposed larger regional police forces, with half strongly opposed. A further 85 percent agreed that policing should remain locally led.

Mr Hirst warned the mergers could undermine policing by consent. "The risk of the merger plan is that the fundamental link between policing and the public could be undermined or lost altogether," he said. "I will continue to make the case for retaining Essex Police in its current form."

Backing from Patel and mayors

Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel, the MP for Witham, backed Mr Hirst and criticised the proposals. English mayors have also warned that the plans pose a real threat to local policing and run counter to the devolution agenda.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Mr Hirst challenged the case for larger forces directly. "I don't want to see a force in the east of England built to mirror the Met," he said, pointing out that youth crime falls by two-thirds on crossing from London into Essex. He also argued that forces already work together where it makes sense, citing joint procurement involving seven forces across the east of England and nine forces buying a new case management system together. "The idea that we are doing things 43 different ways is just mistaken," he said.

What happens next

The Hogan-Howe review has yet to be published. Mr Hirst has submitted the Essex survey findings to the review and has chaired public meetings across the county to discuss the changes with residents.