Battle for control

Police need to be more visible and responsive to public; more control should be given to forces and
chiefs offer accountability for quality of leaders in return for genuine control over their profession

Alcohol Disorder Zone: concern over deployment of police for longer periods to deal with alcohol-related crime due to the licensing changes PHOTO: GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

The recent Home Affairs Select Committee report, Policing in the 21st Century, believes that public expectations of the police are not being met, with the public wanting the police to put a greater focus on minor crime and antisocial behaviour.

It also believes that police need to be more visible and
responsive to the public and give greater consideration to the needs of the victim when investigating crime.

Police resources have been put under greater pressure, particularly where foreign nationals need to be processed, whilst funding shortfalls have been
exposed where rapid population change has occurred due to immigration.

The report highlights a concern over the deployment of police for longer periods to deal with alcohol-related crime due to the changes in the licensing laws and the committee is not convinced of the effectiveness of
Alcohol Disorder Zones.

It also expressed concern over the large number of murder suspects released on bail but does support amendments to the bail laws to take into account
the capacity of the police forces to monitor offenders, and a presumption against bail in murder cases.

There are also examples of effective police approaches in reducing gang-related knife and gun crime, combining diversionary activities and targeted intelligence-led campaigns against known offenders.

The report says that the police need to find ways to freeup resources and the Select Committee expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in reducing police bureaucracy.

More control should be given to local forces, with greater accountability of policing at a local level and the report identified a gap in provision for tackling
serious and organised crime.

Federation’s response
Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, responded to the Policing in the 21st Century report.

“There is much recognition in this report of the many difficult challenges, restrictions and obstacles facing the Police Service today, from the binding red tape
and targets to the evolving expectation the public has of what policing is, and should be,” he said.

“The report emphasises that with much needing to be addressed, some minor steps have been taken including the shorter stop and account form and the scrapping of plans to civilianise the custody sergeant. Both moves were welcomed by the federation.

“We have continued concern, however, around the powers of the PCSO and remain strongly opposed to non-sworn officers having the powers of arrest in any circumstance, not just the proposed ‘powers of arrest in exceptional circumstance’.

“Ad hoc additional powers may cause more confusion and potential danger to the public and we feel that in such circumstances,‘where lives are in danger,’ the situation is better served by a fully trained, warranted
officer.

“The Police Service needs clarity, direction and leadership. We hope that the content of this detailed and thorough report is used by the Home Office to deliver a wider base for review and reform than recently attempted in the Policing Green Paper.”

ACPO’s response
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has published a full response to the report and whilst in many areas they support its findings, there are some
areas where they have significant concerns.

ACPO President Ken Jones said: “They largely centre on the apparently unexciting territory of police governance, accountability and answerability. All too often the complex and, it has to be said, ambiguous architecture of conventions, agreements and statutes can be seen as barriers to change.

“Superficially, such judgments are appealing but the checks and balances that they present are intended to protect, and bolster confidence in, the impartiality of the administration of justice.

“For example, changes to HMIC may unwittingly diminish its unique constitutional importance which, in extremis, we will all regret. A strengthened HMIC is supported but not if that means creating another regulator with a simple public-interest mission, of which there are too many already.

“ACPO has signalled unease over the unintended impacts of recent reforms, which are moving chiefs inexorably toward an employee/employer relationship
with their police authorities.

“Introduction of fixed-term appointments, personal development reviews and bonus schemes unwittingly challenge our strong public-service ethos, strategic
appreciation, and public-interest duty.

“Regarding leadership, ACPO repeats its offer of total accountability for the quality of our leaders in return for genuine control over our profession. As things
stand, the profession of policing is possibly unique in that those at the top of the profession do not have direct leadership of its development.

“We argue that the present approach and related Green Paper proposals blur accountability and should be adjusted to the benefit of the public and our
partners.”

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