More ministerial interference again. Chief Constables ought to know what is required of their men, they've been doing it long enough. Who would I trust most, a politician parachuted into the Home Office for a couple of years, or a Chief Constable who's done the job for 30-40 years ? Stupid question

Phil de Buquet, Newport,

Clearly, there is a disconnect between the police and the Public who pay their wages. We should seriously consider bringing in elected police chiefs so as to make policing accountable and perhaps policing by consent could even make a come back.

What a rotten gumnent!

A. Osborne, Hastings,

Police are paid out of council tax, not central tax. If the government want to meddle then reduce our council tax and pay for them from a central budget. If government don't do this then their paymasters - the LOCAL COMMUNITIES - must continue to appoint, not some centralist government.

Tom, Lichfield,

Something has to be done to make the police more accountable to the community. Local police authorities, made up of councillors, magistrates and independent members, have failed miserably to make the police prioritize on what council tax payers want.

fred, diss,

I have 26 years service with the police. The end of traditional policing by consent started several years ago. This could be the end of that journey. I am ashamed of what the police has become and look forward to taking up a new vocation.

Allan, Macclesfield, UK

The next stop, A President called Mugabe. For God's sake, get these Labour Marxists out before the country is really down the tubes! CC-s should be elected with one mandate: to stop crime within the law. That is the only target. CC-s must be accountable only to the citizens within his boundaries

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

I agree with the comments about the rise of a police state. But I question the origin of the move. Like so many things in Britain today , if it is bad, very bad,if there is no sense to it, and come what may the government insists on it then look to Brussels, the fountain of evil and corrupion.

D.L. Stephens, York, England

Words fail me, save to say how glad I am to be retired from the police service as it's role becomes ever and increasingly politicised. The service has been failed by successive governments, & an egalitarian and permissive administration on general.

Roy Grove, Exeter , UK

Its is the Home Office's insistence on targets which is responsible for the dire state of law and order, along with years of legislation aimed at the belief that offenders can somehow be 'saved' (the same legislation which has fortuitously lined the pockets of lawyers!).

ANDY L, St Helens, Lancs, UK

A corrupt political system needs to take control of the Police in order to prevent action being taken against them and they need to do it quickly. This government should have been either locked up or have the army take over. If we didnt have a powerless head of state it might have happened by now.

alan, warks, uk

Perhaps its about time we had police forces that are properly accountable to the people who have provided them with the laws that give them an immense range of powers. The police are a law unto themselves and the public contempt administered to the Home Secretary is typical of that attitude.

Ian, Maidstone, UK

Labour politicians will have no say who selects police chiefs if the idea goes through as they will be lucky to be the official opposition after the next general election. Just let the voters decide who should be police chiefs and judges, then perhaps the law will work as it should..free of politics

David, Romford Essex,

Let's really democratise this and make police authorities directly elected - then elected representatives can choose police chiefs AND set the Council Tax precept

Richard, Newton Abbot,

This is the politicising of the police. Blunkett started it when he sacked the CC of Sussex without regard to local wishes.

This is the biggest change to policing in this country since 1838. One party appointing ACPO officers.

Wave goodbye to policing by consent.

Derek Smith, Brighton, UK

When will Jacqui Smith learn - targets don't work. If you measure it, it gets done - the corollary being if it isn't measured, it doesn't. Let local police authorities appoint competent people and let them get on with it. Control from the centre will get us nowhere except a politicised police.

Charles, Hong Kong,

It looks as though Labour is using its last chance of staying in power by creating a political police force. Welcome to the Police State where it is illegal not to vote labour.

Cromwell, Leeds, England

Is this the retaliation for Jacqui Smith's recent scragging by police officers? Or possibly a move to make it more difficult for police to investigate serving politicians?

Rowan, Oxford,