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Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals' | Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals' |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The primary role of the police is to prevent crime, not catch criminals, the chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales has said. | |
Tom Winsor said focusing on would-be offenders, likely victims and potential crime hotspots would save taxpayers' money and keep more people safe. | |
But police would still "come to calls for help", he told the BBC. | |
The Home Office said force priorities were a matter for chief constables and elected police and crime commissioners. | |
Mr Winsor will expand his ideas in a speech to security think tank the Royal United Services Institute on Monday. | |
It comes as another think thank, Policy Exchange, recommended introducing a modern version of the "Tardis" police box - made famous by Dr Who - to allow people to report crimes. | |
'Prolific and persistent' | |
Mr Winsor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the "primary purpose" of the police was to prevent crimes happening in the first place. | |
"All the costs of the criminal justice system - and they are considerable - are incurred downstream of an offence being committed," he said. | |
"Prevention is far better than cure. If we can prevent offences taking place and we prevent there being any victims, which is absolutely critical... we save all of those costs." | |
He said there should be greater use of technology and intelligence to "concentrate resources on crime hotspots". | |
Resources should be used "to know where repeat and vulnerable victims of crime are" and "know where the offenders are - those who are wearing tags and those who are just known to be the most prolific and persistent and dangerous offenders in the community - and take them off the streets". | |
Police budgets are being cut by the government, but Mr Winsor said forces had "to do more with fewer resources". | |
"Therefore, the biggest bang for the public's buck is on crime prevention," he said but added: "When crimes have been committed they will respond." | |
A lawyer and former rail regulator - with no experience of serving in the police - Mr Winsor's appointment as chief inspector last year was a controversial choice. | |
In March 2012, he published a report for the government which contained wide-ranging changes to police pay and conditions. | |
Recommendations included fast-tracking recruits to inspector level within three years and cutting the starting salary for police constables in England and Wales to £19,000 - a reduction of £4,000. | |
'Cops in shops' | |
Meanwhile, Policy Exchange's Rebooting the PC Report recommends the introduction of modern versions of police boxes where people can "report crime, provide witness statements, discuss concerns and access information". | |
"These would be technologically-enabled police contact points featuring two-way audio-visual technology so that members of the public could communicate directly with police staff," the report said. | "These would be technologically-enabled police contact points featuring two-way audio-visual technology so that members of the public could communicate directly with police staff," the report said. |
The report also says that, faced with budget cuts, police chiefs must avoid putting "buildings before bobbies" and should replace police stations with "cops in shops". | The report also says that, faced with budget cuts, police chiefs must avoid putting "buildings before bobbies" and should replace police stations with "cops in shops". |
It quoted Met Police figures which showed the number of people reporting crime at front counters in London fell by more than 100,000 between 2006-07 and 2011-12. | |
A Home Office spokesman said decisions about the most effective use of resources "including the number, location and operating hours of police stations" were a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners. | |
The Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said a fall in the use of front counters had been "happening around the country for many years". | |
But its vice-chairman, Steve White, said police stations were "accessible to the public, all day and night, something which is not provided by local shops and businesses". | |
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said that "in an age of austerity, relentlessly challenging established practice to improve local policing is more important than ever". | The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said that "in an age of austerity, relentlessly challenging established practice to improve local policing is more important than ever". |
"We need to think differently to equip policing for the years ahead, identifying and sharing what helps - be it 'cop shops', public contact booths or special constables and volunteers complementing the way we patrol communities," Acpo's Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Donald said. |