Essex police hope for public support

That's the news from The Harlow Star.

Essex Chief Constable Roger Baker and the Essex Police Authority are currently seeking legal advice over whether they can force a judicial review....

Essex Police is strongly opposed to the Government's plan to merge Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire constabularies into a regional or strategic 'super force'.

Officials have cited the success of recently-adopted initiatives and changes in style brought in by Mr Baker since his appointment last year, including a heavier focus on community policing, reductions in bureaucracy, increased officer numbers and rising arrest figures.

So the Essex police authority are going into a public consultation.

The authority hopes that the meetings - one of which will take place at the Latton Bush Centre in Harlow, on July 3 and another at a venue to be confirmed in Epping on July 24 - will enable it to go back to the Home Secretary with evidence of strong public backing for its stance.

Police authority chairman Robert Chambers said: "We now have until August to formalise any further objections we have to the mergers, so this really is a good opportunity to find out what the public wants.

"The feedback will be vital in the process and it is only right and proper that the public have a say in the future of the police service."