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Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals' Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals'
(about 2 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.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.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.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. The Police Federation said budget cuts and a focus on targets had left forces less time for proactive street patrols.
Mr Winsor will expand his ideas in a speech to security think tank the Royal United Services Institute on Monday. Mr Winsor - who has no background in policing - outlined his ideas in a speech to security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) 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''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. He said crime prevention was "the primary purpose of policing", but was "not the sole obligation of the police".
"All the costs of the criminal justice system - and they are considerable - are incurred downstream of an offence being committed," he said. "It is the obligation of every citizen and that includes the other agencies and emanations of communities and the state.
"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." "Parents and families, as well as schools and other educational institutions, must instil in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong....
He said there should be greater use of technology and intelligence to "concentrate resources on crime hotspots". "Prevention is also an obligation of health professionals, particularly in the field of mental health where undiagnosed or untreated illness can, as we know, lead to the commission of serious violent crime."
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". Before the speech, Mr Winsor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All the costs of the criminal justice system - and they are considerable - are incurred downstream of an offence being committed.
Police budgets are being cut by the government, but Mr Winsor said forces had "to do more with fewer resources". "If we can prevent offences taking place and we prevent there being any victims, which is absolutely critical... we save all of those costs."
"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." Police budgets are being cut by the government, but Mr Winsor said forces had "to do more with fewer resources" and focusing on prevention offered "the biggest bang for the public's buck".
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. Resources should be targeted at "crime hotspots" and 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".
Mr Winsor told the RUSI new technology could help this sort of targeting - for example, through the reporting of crime via smart phone apps - but the technology currently available to officers was "quite far behind where it could be".
"Police officers at the front line deserve much better," he added.
'Hard to measure'
A lawyer and former rail regulator 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.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.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' Steve White, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said it would work with Mr Winsor "to establish how these ideas will be realised".
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". "However, politicians and the public should be mindful of the fact that preventative policing is both resource-intensive and often very difficult to measure," he said.
"Falling budgets and an emphasis on statistics and targets have resulted in officers having less time to carry out proactive patrolling on our streets than at any point in the past."
Mr Winsor's speech came 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, provide witness statements.
"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.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.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". The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said: "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."
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".
"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.