Elected police chiefs

Blogs are often criticised for being too fatuous and praised as fora for detailed discussion and analysis of ideas and policies. Trust People thinks that both are important, but wishes now to focus a little on one specific policy idea which has regained its profile somewhat in recent weeks, in no small part down to the continuing antics of the head of the Met, Sir Ian Blair.

Before this, however, tales of my "have-a-go-hero" antics had stimulated a fairly rigorous discussion of the potential advantages, or not, of electing heads of police forces. This is an issue about which Trust People, in keeping with its name, feels quite strongly. As such today marks the launch of a series of posts which will set out the need for and advantages of a system of directly-elected sheriffs for each police force, before dealing with some of the accusations which will be thrown against the scheme.