Police and Crime Commissioner’s across the country are increasingly focused on estate strategy, our Blue Light Estates Development Conference has heard.

When the role was first created in 2012 the commissioners were given particularly broad portfolios, being tasked with ensuring the overall performance of the service. Many of the commissioners have devolved more powers to their appointed Chief Constables and focused on leading on the estate’s development of their forces.

Katy Bourne, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex described how the position has changed across the country: “Ultimately we set the strategic direction, we have control of the budget, we can appoint and dismiss the Chief Constable and most of us kept the estates.” [emaillocker id=”71749″]

Hardyal Dhindsa, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire had a similar response, he explained: “I’ve given over ownership and delivery of operational policing and resources, but the estate is still something I own and control.” 

Dhindsa stressed the importance of fighting the climate emergency with responsible estates development, specifically citing “green vehicles, green buildings and reducing C02 emissions” as areas of focus for the service.

Bourne echoed Dhindsa’s climate focus laying out further carbon cutting measures: “We’ve also got energy reduction building management systems to key locations, including boiler optimisation, and we’ve invested in solar panel installations.”

Bourne made a bold proposal for collaboration with developers: “I want to redesign what a public facing police station should look to the public to make it fit for the 22nd century.” 

For the Sussex commissioner, One Public Estate has been the main way that the service has promoted a co-location agenda, Bourne explained: “In Sussex we’re closely involved in our One Public Estate programme, we’re sharing a new build in East Haven with East Sussex Fire and Rescue and Lewes District Council.”

Derbyshire has been focused on cross blue light cooperation since 2013, and Dhindsa revealed that this had lead to “mutual benefits in terms of capital investment.” 

Derbyshire took a slightly different approach to cross-force collaboration, Dhindsa explained: “We set up a limited liability partnership, which actually meant that the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority were Co-Chairs, which means we could maintain our separate identities.”

Technology has enabled vital cost-saving measures within police services, as well as creating estate difficulties of its own. Bourne cited video evidence services and digital records management, which save on administration time as well as the “digital beat” which requires less facilities, as enabling cost reductions. 

Technology has also been a hindrance to cross-force cooperation. Dhindsa remarked on how system differences were providing an obstacle: “We want to enable our digital systems to work more effectively. We currently have two organisations sharing one building but we have to use two systems.” 

The Police and Crime Commissioners have found a natural role in overseeing the estates development of their police services. It allows a degree of public oversight in the management of police estates and can ultimately strengthen the service.  [/emaillocker]