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Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals' Police should focus on crime prevention 'not catching criminals'
(about 1 hour 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 "primitive" technology is limiting officers' ability to do that, he added.
The Police Federation said budget cuts and a focus on targets had left forces less time for proactive street patrols.The Police Federation said budget cuts and a focus on targets had left forces less time for proactive street patrols.
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. Mr Winsor outlined his ideas in a speech to security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on Monday.
'Prolific and persistent''Prolific and persistent'
He said crime prevention was "the primary purpose of policing", but was "not the sole obligation of the police". He said crime prevention was "the primary purpose of policing" and, with regard to persistent offenders in particular, officers must "make it as hard as possible to commit the crime in the first place".
Resources should be targeted at "crime hotspots", used to identify "repeat and vulnerable victims of crime" and find out where the "most prolific and persistent and dangerous offenders in the community" were located.
But to do this, he said officers needed access to much better technology, ideally a smartphone-like device so each individual could hold "force intelligence in his hand".
"It is remarkable that the technology available to the police, particularly in their interaction with other parts of the criminal justice system, is as rudimentary and as primitive as it is. It haemorrhages efficiency.
"The frustrations, the screaming frustrations, of frontline police officers who struggle with outdated and antiquated systems is a considerable matter of importance."
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".
But he also insisted crime prevention was "not the sole obligation of the police".
"It is the obligation of every citizen and that includes the other agencies and emanations of communities and the state."It is the obligation of every citizen and that includes the other agencies and emanations of communities and the state.
"Parents and families, as well as schools and other educational institutions, must instil in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong...."Parents and families, as well as schools and other educational institutions, must instil in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong....
"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.""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."
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. Mr Winsor said the biggest greatest frustration cited by officers was dealing with individuals with mental health problems.
"If we can prevent offences taking place and we prevent there being any victims, which is absolutely critical... we save all of those costs." The police were relied on as the service that "will never say no", he added, but other bodies must do more.
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".
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''Hard to measure'
Mr Winsor is a lawyer and former rail regulator, and his appointment as chief inspector last year was a controversial choice. 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 his ideas would be realised.
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.
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".
"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."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.""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."
The Chief Inspector of Constabulary's comments were welcomed by Victim Support, a charity which supports the victims of crime. Mr Winsor's comments were welcomed by charity Victim Support.
"We strongly agree that greater emphasis needs to be given by the police on crime prevention," it said.
"Being a victim of crime is often a traumatic, life-changing experience. The victims and witnesses we support every day tell us they want a criminal justice system that acts in their interests, and that stops crime from happening in the first place."
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.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 suggests replacing 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.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 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."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."
Mr Winsor is a lawyer and former rail regulator with no background in policing and his appointment as chief inspector last year was a controversial choice.
In March 2012, he published a report for the government recommending wide-ranging changes to police pay and conditions, including cutting the starting salary for police constables in England and Wales to £19,000 - a reduction of £4,000.