Police Governance, the Association of Chief Police Officers and Constitutional Change

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Abstract
After nearly two decades of Conservative rule in Parliament, constitutional change has become an increasingly significant issue on the political agenda, embracing considerable discussion about the constitution of the police (largely centred on issues of police accountability and local democratic control of the police). This article seeks to further this debate by examining the role of the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO) in shaping the constitution of the police. In particular, it assesses the role of ACPO in the widely perceived trend towards the centralisation of policing. This 'centralisation thesis' needs to be revised in the light of empirical research. ACPO may be regarded as both a centralising agency because of its push to standardise policing policy locally (rather than as a conduit for central government influence) and a decentralising agency representing local police forces in countering government attempts to centralise policing. Constitutional debates on policing need to recognise that the 'centralisation thesis' is somewhat simplistic, and those calling for a new constitutional settlement for the police need to understand the complex nature of police governance, as demonstrated in this study of ACPO's role in the process of policing centralisation.

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