Town hall call over policing powers

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The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) - once dubbed Labour's favourite think-tank - also backed a Conservative Party policy for directly-elected police commissioners.

The moves were put forward as options in a report designed to make the police more accountable to their communities.

It said the current system of police authorities is "weak, remote and unaccountable", and is one reason why public satisfaction with the police is lower than in the past.

The IPPR's Guy Lodge said: "Recent efforts to increase police accountability to the Home Office through central targets have had only limited success and have made policing less responsive to local needs and circumstances.

"At the local level, weak and remote police authorities do not provide an effective check on police performance."

The report proposed a number of changes, including a "radical step" to give local councils control of community policing, setting budgets and priorities and appointing local police commanders.

It also suggested adopting directly-elected police commissioners to hold chief constables to account, and granting directly elected mayors powers to hold the police to account.

Mr Lodge said: "The government rightly accepts the need to improve police accountability and give the public a greater say in shaping policing priorities through direct election.

"But the government must recognise that there are a range of options available and that given regional variations a one-size-fits-all approach will not work."