In this conversation from the College of Policing’s Canary Wharf headquarters, Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh discusses the Police Reform White Paper and what he sees as one of the biggest opportunities for policing in England and Wales for decades. He describes the paper as potentially the most dramatic set of reforms since Peel, and argues that while the headlines have focused on force mergers and a National Police Service, many of the most important changes sit in the detail around leadership, standards and performance.
The interview explores three big themes: performance improvement, the future force landscape, and the case for a stronger centre in policing. Sir Andy explains why he supports a more formal turnaround capability for forces in difficulty, why performance and integrity must go hand in hand, and why he believes it is possible to balance local identity with stronger national structures. He also makes clear that if a National Police Service can help the College of Policing do more and do it better, he would support that direction
Key takeaways
- Sir Andy Marsh describes the Police Reform White Paper as a potentially historic moment for policing.
- He says many of the most important reforms sit beyond the headline debates about force mergers.
- A major theme is that policing has lacked a strong enough central capability on performance improvement.
- He supports a more formal turnaround function at the College to help forces improve faster.
- Sir Andy argues that the public are entitled to both performance and integrity, not one or the other.
- He believes policing needs a stronger centre because variation in standards and outcomes is too high.
- At the same time, he says any future model must preserve local identity and visible local policing.
- He is supportive of the College playing a bigger role if it helps leadership, standards and performance improve.
Sound bites
- “Perhaps the most dramatic potential reforms since Peel.”
- “We can’t do anything in our lives unless we feel safe.”
- “A much more significant performance improvement capability.”
- “The public have got every right to expect performance and integrity.”
Chapters
00:39 – Why the white paper matters so much
02:04 – The reforms beyond the headlines
03:18 – A stronger turnaround function for policing
04:39 – What replacing “engage” could mean
05:59 – Why performance must come with integrity
08:01 – Force mergers and the future landscape
10:31 – What a National Police Service could do
11:10 – Could the College move into a National Police Service?
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