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| Straw sparks row over police work | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw has told the BBC he is "sceptical" about claims by some police that they are overworked and spend hours filling in forms. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw has told the BBC he is "sceptical" about claims by some police that they are overworked and spend hours filling in forms. |
| He said some officers "quite enjoy" being in the station "in the warm" and some forces did better than others. | He said some officers "quite enjoy" being in the station "in the warm" and some forces did better than others. |
| Often the difference was due, not to resources, but to the "discipline and culture" within the force, he said. | Often the difference was due, not to resources, but to the "discipline and culture" within the force, he said. |
| But the Police Federation, which represents officers, said the remarks were "irresponsible and inflammatory". | But the Police Federation, which represents officers, said the remarks were "irresponsible and inflammatory". |
| Mr Straw, who was home secretary between 1997 and 2001, was asked about "overworked" police forces asking people to register minor crimes online. | Mr Straw, who was home secretary between 1997 and 2001, was asked about "overworked" police forces asking people to register minor crimes online. |
| 'Less efficient' | 'Less efficient' |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm afraid I'm rather sceptical about the excuse that a public service, in this case the police, is overworked and therefore can't change." | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm afraid I'm rather sceptical about the excuse that a public service, in this case the police, is overworked and therefore can't change." |
| "With a given level of resources, some police forces, or some parts of police forces do very much better than others. | "With a given level of resources, some police forces, or some parts of police forces do very much better than others. |
| Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm Jack StrawJustice Secretary Send us your comments | Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm Jack StrawJustice Secretary Send us your comments |
| "And it is the ones who are the less efficient and who have the wrong approach to the public who fall back on this 'Oh, I'm overworked' [argument]." | "And it is the ones who are the less efficient and who have the wrong approach to the public who fall back on this 'Oh, I'm overworked' [argument]." |
| He said while some officers would claim it takes four hours to fill in forms, "good police officers will take an hour to fill in the same forms because they want to get out and catch criminals". | He said while some officers would claim it takes four hours to fill in forms, "good police officers will take an hour to fill in the same forms because they want to get out and catch criminals". |
| He added: "Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm. We are dealing with human beings, but we are also dealing with the kind of discipline and culture in the police service." | He added: "Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm. We are dealing with human beings, but we are also dealing with the kind of discipline and culture in the police service." |
| 'Done by politicians' | 'Done by politicians' |
| Around the country, while some police forces were "up for it, getting crime down and really motoring" neighbouring forces had still "not got it together", he said. | Around the country, while some police forces were "up for it, getting crime down and really motoring" neighbouring forces had still "not got it together", he said. |
| "It is not about money, it is about leadership, organisation and culture." | "It is not about money, it is about leadership, organisation and culture." |
| But Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the remarks were "irresponsible and inflammatory". | But Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the remarks were "irresponsible and inflammatory". |
| "It wasn't police officers who brought in 3,000 new laws, it wasn't police officers who brought in a 30-page prosecution file and it wasn't police officers who brought in multiple forms and authorities to use a pair of binoculars," he said. | "It wasn't police officers who brought in 3,000 new laws, it wasn't police officers who brought in a 30-page prosecution file and it wasn't police officers who brought in multiple forms and authorities to use a pair of binoculars," he said. |
| "This was all done by politicians. Police officers are not the architects of bureaucracy, they and the public are the victims of it." | "This was all done by politicians. Police officers are not the architects of bureaucracy, they and the public are the victims of it." |
| In September Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced that the amount of information police officers record when they stop and search a suspect would be reduced from more than 10 points to two or three. | In September Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced that the amount of information police officers record when they stop and search a suspect would be reduced from more than 10 points to two or three. |
| But he said individual forces had to take on more responsibility for cutting paperwork and said some neighbourhood police officers were still filling in forms that were no longer required. | But he said individual forces had to take on more responsibility for cutting paperwork and said some neighbourhood police officers were still filling in forms that were no longer required. |
| A spokesman for the Conservative Party said ministers were "utterly out of touch with what is really happening in policing". | |
| "They heap more and more bureaucracy onto our police, leaving them filling in form after form, often with the same information on it, and then pretend that nothing is wrong," he said. | |
| "It's not police officers who are sitting at their desks in the warm - it's ministers stuck in their ivory towers." |