MADAM, Having left a long career with Scotland Yard I now return often to my roots in Herefordshire. I was schooled at the former Ross Grammar School in the 1970s with Sarah and Jane Potter, daughters of Dennis, our great local author. It's an incredible relief being able to do a lot of canoeing on the Wye and living outdoors after many frenetic years tackling gun and gang crime in London.

My concerns about the growing political interference in operational policing are well documented and this has been amplified by the recent appointment of Police & Crime Commissioners to take over from local Police Authorities. Combined with the closure of thousands of police stations across the country, including Ross, there are some fundamental realities people need to be aware of.

Many of the changes I have witnessed have been small and incremental but the cumulative effect has been catastrophic in terms of police esprit de corps, team work values and operational independence. This independence was very hard won in the 1800s by Robert Peel in the interests of justice and objective policing.

At the heart of the issue is money and power. Instead of being given a clear budget, Police Commanders have had to tender for money to run special projects and operations, not of their choosing, but those presented by central and regional government. These are often populist in nature addressing a short term issue of political importance. This phenomenon has grown and is operational control through the back door.

This will accelerate with the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners. A single individual, many of whom are political party nominees, will have sole responsibility for setting the police budget, operational objectives and hiring/firing Chief Constables, an unprecedented shift of power to people who often have a political axe to grind and no long term interests in the area. The devil is in the detail and this operational detail has often involved political control through the back door.

Things are on the move dramatically, using cost cutting as an excuse for a fundamental shift of power. I fear for the future unless these changes are rigorously examined, challenged and reformed.

James T H Cooke, Author of "Operations Management – The Art & Science of Making Things Happen" available from Rossiters Book Shop or http://www.book-operationsmanagement.com">www.book-operationsmanagement.com