AS THE scale and shape of
the cuts to the country's police services become clear, the Church
might want to compare notes with those pushing forward the
changes.
They have a few things in
common. It isn't just that both institutions have suffered from
scandals and negative publicity. Both are committed to a focus at
ward or parish level; and both are saddled with infrastructure and
organisation that was designed for a previous age. Modernisation is
a necessity, and tough decisions have to be made about what to do
with costly buildings as fewer people come through their doors.
The crisis facing the police
service is more acute. In London alone, the Mayor, Boris Johnson,
is aiming for a 20-per-cent cut in his policing budget. But a
Church that has been grappling with financial pressures for a great
deal longer should have some wisdom to offer.
In my own borough of
Lambeth, three of our six police stations are set to close. The
buildings, it is suggested, are no longer required for modern
policing. Most people report crimes online, or by phone. The
stations keep too many police behind desks, out of sight from the
community. But the police station, like a church building, provides
a feeling of security. As with churches, you can bank on huge local
opposition when closures are attempted.
But the Church could also
learn from the police. No "Back to Police Station Sunday (or
Saturday night)" is being proposed. Instead, services are being
moved out into the community. Tasks such as checking vehicle
documents can be performed at post offices. Real "cop shops" can be
established in premises on the high street. The Church should be
inspired to think outside the box, too, about its services and
mission.
Rather than close buildings,
however, the Church has shown that there are realistic
alternatives, which involve opening buildings up to the local
community. If the police are to hold surgeries in a local café,
then why not also set up a café in a police station? These kinds of
ideas, once unthinkable, have now become commonplace in urban
parishes. Police stations could become important community spaces,
hosting a range of activities, if they are willing to learn from
the Church's example.
This is not to say that
there are no difficulties with opening up your building to the
community in new ways. For some people, previous negative
experiences of both Church and police mean that they may still be
reluctant to set foot in them. But this is all the more reason to
make them more accessible.
Welcoming the community in
can also help to make institutions more accountable, and increase
confidence in them. This is what has been seen in numerous
initiatives, from school governing bodies and parent-teacher
associations to Safer Neighbourhood panels and "Friends" community
groups.
But whatever they do with
their buildings, perhaps, most importantly, both Church and police
are being forced to relinquish control and explore how the
community can take more ownership. The CitySafe scheme being
pioneered by London Citizens, for example, encourages churches to
work with businesses to create places of sanctuary on the high
street for young people who might get into difficulty with
gangs.
Whether out in the
community, or welcoming the community in, the Church cannot "do"
people's faith for them, any more than the police can make an area
truly safe. In the end, a community must take on responsibility for
its own spiritual well-being and security. And that is an
important, albeit challenging, lesson for those inside and outside
the buildings.
Jonathan Bartley is director of the theological think tank
Ekklesia.