Local priorities for policing make sense

12.00.00am GMT Sat 31st May 2008

Commenting on the decision by four police forces to set their own priorities rather than follow national targets, Liberal Democrat shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"National targets have distorted police priorities for too long, giving as much weight to shoplifting as it does to murder.

"Police forces should be able to set priorities and be held to account by elected police authorities who know their area, not out of touch Whitehall bureaucrats.

"Local priorities for policing make sense as long as there is a system of local accountability too."