The decision against a merger with Hertfordshire Police identifies more areas of opportunity for the new chief constable of Bedfordshire, the chair of Bedfordshire Police Authority has said.

Speaking to Police Professional, Peter Coniff said that now a merger with Hertfordshire is not anticipated, the new chief constable for the force will have to think of smarter ways to work with other forces, as well as other agencies, although this alone will not close the financial gap the authority anticipates.

In April, Police Professional reported on Bedfordshire’s search for a new chief constable (PP202 p10); now, with the prospect of a merger off the table, Mr Coniff says the right candidate will still need good internal and external communication skills, the ability to achieve value for money on behalf of local residents and the experience to effectively work with the county’s diverse communities to achieve greater confidence; in addition, they must have a willingness to fully explore collaboration with other partners and forces.

“We can’t wait another 18 months for perhaps the appointment of a directly-elected individual; 18 months is a long time and we really need to start taking action now. Whoever we appoint we want to have drive, enthusiasm and the understanding that we need to act fast and cannot wait until there are government arrangements in place.”

Two years ago, Bedfordshire Police stripped down its back-office functions and saved a lot of money. The force has also just finished operation Quest, which looked further at efficiencies, but there is still a long way to go Mr Coniff said.

“We’re determined to maintain the front line and must guarantee safer neighbourhood teams, because that is what the public want and it seems to work very well in Bedfordshire.

“We would like to collaborate more with the six counties in the eastern region and we will continue to do that, but all of these issues need to be explored with speed and enthusiasm, because we have to find something that will work to close what we foresee as being a huge financial gap.”

Once appointed, the new chief constable will help recruit the force’s next deputy chief constable when the post opens up in September.

“The financial challenges will provide greater opportunity to the successful candidate,” Mr Coniff concluded. “The package being offered, we feel, is competitive, fair and includes reimbursement of relocation expenses.”

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