The purpose of the Bill is to: reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability in the Police Force and help reduce crime further.

The main elements of the Bill are:

• Implement reforms set out in the Policing Green Paper due to be published in May. These include: 

• providing a clear and powerful public voice in decision making through the election of directly elected representatives.
• reducing bureaucracy in the police service.

• Improve the arrangements for recovery of assets obtained through criminal means;

• Improve the arrangements for judicial co-operation in relation to extradition;

• Repeal provisions in this area which are unused, unlikely to be commenced or no longer required.

The main benefits of the Bill are:

• New local flexibility to enable the police to focus service on the citizen;

• Quicker processing of asset recovery cases and a clear message that assets obtained through criminal acts will be seized and recovered - improving public confidence in the Criminal Justice System;

• Streamlined extradition processes;

• Reducing bureaucracy by repealing legislation that is no longer required.