Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has just issued a report rightly castigating the police at a national level for failing to investigate robbery, burglary and theft. This is hot on the heels of specific HMICFRS criticism of Wiltshire Police in two successive reports regarding general performance and child protection.
The most recent national report catalogues a series of systemic failures, including the initial response from call handlers, the poor service provided to victims, the lack of investigative skills and inadequate supervision.
The picture was completely different when I retired from Wiltshire Police in 2011. For example, in Swindon, the clear-up rate for Domestic Burglary hovered around 50%. A dedicated Burglary Squad investigated every offence determined to bring offenders to justice. Currently, less than one in ten burglaries result in a charge.
So what has gone wrong in the past decade or so? The following is a personal view, along with some suggestions for reform.
In common with other public services, austerity hit policing hard as the government reduced funding. In real terms, that meant a reduction in 20,000 officers across England and Wales. But it did not stop there because as many as 24,000 police staff posts were lost.
In providing further context, there was a steady increase in violent crime from 2013 onwards. This was followed by a similar increase in the theft of property. Academic research points to a correlation between reduction in welfare benefits and property related crime. As crime rates were rising, police numbers were falling.
Police forces reacted to budget restraints by not replacing retiring officers and police staff when posts became available. A consequence of this was the loss of experience within the workforce, which has never been replaced. This applies particularly to CID, where capacity and capability have been greatly reduced.
A further significant change has been the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners to replace Police Authorities. Police reform in 1964 saw the introduction of Police Authorities with two thirds of their membership coming from elected Councillors and the remainder being Magistrates. The critical point to make here is that Police Authority members came from across the political spectrum.
In 2012, the government introduced the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). A locally elected public official, which in Wiltshire has been very much contested along party lines. The PCC is intended to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient police service within their force area.
I believe this has led to politicising how the police are managed. At a local level PCC are overseeing forces along party lines rather than putting community needs first. For example, during the years of austerity over 600 police stations were closed across the country. The case for closing rural stations with a low footfall is easy to make. When a place the size of Salisbury does not have a police station, the rationale becomes more difficult to justify.
Grandiose and extravagant claims have been made when seeking votes during PCC elections. For example, during the recent Wiltshire PCC election campaign, one candidate claimed that 100 extra officers would be recruited from within the existing budget. No explanation was ever offered how this would be achieved. Certainly, the current PCC has not achieved this conjuring trick.
Wiltshire Police are one of the poorest funded forces in the country. In my opinion, the PCC and our locally elected Members of Parliament should be lobbying the Home Secretary for improved funding for Wiltshire Police.
Two per cent of the Chief Constable’s budget funds the Office of the PCC, which equates to nearly £3 million. The decline in police performance over the past decade has occurred under the stewardship of two elected PCC. In discharging their responsibilities, have we achieved value for money?
In 2012 the government appointed an individual with no policing background to become Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary. This was part of an effort to reform policing and save money. Against this backdrop, HMICFRS has not delivered when it comes to managing performance in respect of reducing and detecting crime.
Looking to the future, how can this situation be improved? Ministers refer to the recruitment of an additional 20,000 officers. Certainly very welcome, but they simply replace the number of officers lost during the past decade. The recruits will be training for three years and it will take longer for them to become occupationally competent. The benefit they deliver will not be realised for years to come.
I believe there is a dire need for more meaningful police reform, starting with the structure of policing in England and Wales. You might not be aware that there are 43 police forces across England and Wales. That means 43 Chief Constables, Deputy Chief Constables, Heads of Finance, Heads of HR, etc. It is an antiquated structure that is no longer fit for purpose. I believe there should be regional forces with the cashable savings reinvested in policing.
One of the most significant obstacles to such a reform is that different forces rely on different IT systems. This means that Wiltshire officers cannot necessarily use the IT systems in other forces. Standardisation is capable of achieving further efficiency savings. Harmonisation will require a clear strategy to deliver evolution rather than revolution.
Whilst advocating regionalisation, local accountability must remain paramount. We used to say that the cap badge matters. Wiltshire and Swindon residents want to see “Wiltshire Police” on uniforms and police vehicles. It matters not where the Chief Constable’s office is located, with the caveat that local community needs are met.
Many London Boroughs and other metropolitan areas are managed by a Chief Superintendent. They invariably have a population base greater than Wiltshire and Swindon and higher crime rates. The critical point is that the infrastructure exists within the larger organisation to support them.
Wiltshire trialled regional Roads Policing, Dogs and Firearms with Avon & Somerset and Gloucestershire. I believe this failed mainly due to disagreements at an operational level and different local procedures and systems. At a strategic level, three Chief Constables were hesitant about surrendering sovereignty. A regional Chief Constable would be far better placed to make collaboration of this nature work.
The Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel is responsible for scrutinising the PCC’s precepts and police and crime plans. Panel members are drawn up from all political parties. I believe they need to take a more robust approach when holding the PCC and Chief Constable to account. This could still work within a model of regional forces.
There remains the unhelpful continual reference to officer numbers when discussing policing. It matters far more that roles are undertaken by appropriately qualified individuals rather than whether they possess a warrant card. Analysts, crime scene investigator, financial investigator, surveillance operative and many more functions can be satisfactorily performed by police staff.
Workforce modernisation should be seen as bringing the right skills to bear, not saving money.
Pay and conditions within the public sector have been eroded, and police officers and police staff are no different. The starting pay for a police constable is £26,199. We have police personnel along with nurses relying on food banks to survive.
HMICFRS criticises the failure to meet the standards defined by the College of Policing in investigating robbery, burglary and theft. Chief Constables require the resources to be able to meet these standards.
In closing, I have highlighted several issues that have detrimentally impacted policing and some potential reforms. Whilst policing is a complex business, the public has every right to expect a far better quality of service.
It took a decade to get to this low point, it will take even longer to recover. So rather than populist sound bites, we need a genuine investment in policing coupled with a coherent strategy for reform.
Right now, a police officer’s lot is definitely not a happy one. One of leadership’s essential responsibilities is providing the environment for your people to succeed. The government, HMICFRS, PCC, Chief Officers, and others must do better.
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