Bedfordshire Police and Luton Council clash on 24 Hours in Police Custody involvement
Bedfordshire Police, Luton Council and Bedfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner are working together to 'reach an agreement' following a difference of opinion regarding the Channel 4 programme 24 Hours in Police Custody.
A letter released today jointly be the organisations highlights concerns raised regarding the programme being filmed in Luton, and 'the impact it has on the town's representation.'
Building Trust
Yesterday, The Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police issued a letter to Luton Borough Council, alongside John Tizard, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the county, defending the force's involvement in 24 Hours in Police Custody.
It follows concerns raised by the Council regarding Luton's representation - with a leaked draft letter seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service accusing the programme of fuelling 'Luton-bashing'.
In response, Bedfordshire Police released their response, addressed to Chief Executive of Luton Council, Robin Porter.
In the letter, Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst details the positive impact the programme has had on policing, trust, and reporting in the county.
Research carried out by Channel 4, listed in the letter, also found:
98% of viewers said it had either improved or reinforced their positive opinion of the police
more than 80% of viewers agreed the series sensitively brought important but different issues to a mainstream audience,
53% of viewers said watching 24 Hours in Police Custody made them consider a career in policing (including over 50% of 16-34 year olds)
Chief Constable Rodenhurst says these are "important and significant statistics".
PCC John Tizard co-wrote the letter, which explains how the programme is part of their commitment to being open, aiding to build trust and confidence.
The pair also reinforce that they're passionate about positively representing Luton and Bedfordshire as a whole, believing 24 Hours in Police Custody is something that has had 'overwhelmingly positive impact on the public's perception of policing.'
Training in schools, student nurses and healthcare professionals and young people are all listed in the letter as benefitting from the show and its front-seat view to policing, with over two million viewers watching regularly.
Concerns for Luton's reputation
In today's letter, Luton Council raise concerns regarding the area's representation, at a time they're trying to build it up.
It reads "our concerns remain that it continues to damage the reputation of Luton at a time when we are trying to change the narrative so we can attract new investment, business and opportunities for our residents."
The council's perspective does also note there are positives from the Police's perspective.
The letter rounds off by saying the organisations involved will now be approaching the producers of the programme, to 'see what measure can be put in place to reduce any negative perceptions of the town in future episodes'.
Bedfordshire Police and Luton Police both say they value their 'strong partnership and relationship' with communities and partners, and respect each other's views.