Where Are All The Police? – An Analysis of Police Resources
HMIC does offer valuable advice to the Home Secretary and to police forces, but this should not be the role of an inspectorate. If the Home Secretary wants a professional police adviser he/she should appoint one. The Home Office’s Police Standards Unit, part of the Police and Crime Standards Directorate, which has some inspection functions, could be subsumed into the newly independent HMIC.
A new Inspectorate should be significantly strengthened and fully separated from police forces and the Home Office. It should report to Parliament rather than the Home Office and inspectors should be appointed by Parliament, not the Home Secretary. It should become in part an economic regulator, ensuring value for money as well as monitoring standards. It could also take over responsibility for publishing crime figures from the Home Office. It needs to be less a candid friend to police forces and more an outspoken champion of the public interest.
In David Cameron’s words:
“We cannot be tough on crime unless we tackle the issues which are holding back police performance. This is the most difficult and controversial part of the crime agenda. But … unless we have the courage and the determination to pursue radical police reform, we will never build the safer communities we all want to see.”
DIARY OF A POLICE OFFICER – HOME OFFICE RESEARCH 2001
Using police officers for policing not paperwork Using more support staff is not a new idea. Making civilianisation work for police officers is the key to successfully freeing officers to get on with what they do best. But substituting a police officer with support staff will have limited value if they only work nine-to-five and only do a limited set of duties. Nor will support staff be cost effective in some functions (such as prisoner processing) if they cannot undertake other useful support tasks during quiet times.
There was a widespread feeling amongst the officers that they deserved better support. Around the clock support is one requirement, but not the only one. When there is a shortage of support staff it is operational police who tend to cover, not other support staff. A significant extension of civilianisation will only achieve benefits if implemented differently.
What is needed is flexible staff, trained to perform the full range of administrative tasks in support of a police officer, and to be available for extended hours. More widespread use of support staff (in a broad sense including specials or traffic wardens) outside the station could also release significant amounts of police time.
This could extend to preserving scenes of crime, marshalling the public at major incidents and taking basic statements.
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