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| Police 'should focus more on preventing crime than catching criminals' | Police 'should focus more on preventing crime than catching criminals' |
| (12 days later) | |
| The police should focus more on preventing crime than on catching criminals, the new chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales has said. | The police should focus more on preventing crime than on catching criminals, the new chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales has said. |
| Tom Winsor says too many officers think their primary purpose is to catch criminals and should spend more time on targeting would-be offenders and potential crime hotspots to save money. | Tom Winsor says too many officers think their primary purpose is to catch criminals and should spend more time on targeting would-be offenders and potential crime hotspots to save money. |
| In his first major speech in the job, Winsor also highlighted the "primitive" state of police technology, saying officers were having to use out-of-date and "next to useless" handheld devices when out on the beat. | In his first major speech in the job, Winsor also highlighted the "primitive" state of police technology, saying officers were having to use out-of-date and "next to useless" handheld devices when out on the beat. |
| "On one visit, a constable handed me the PDA device (a palmtop) he had been given two years ago, since when half its functionality had been removed. I had not seen one of these in 10 years. It was useless. This too must change," he said. | "On one visit, a constable handed me the PDA device (a palmtop) he had been given two years ago, since when half its functionality had been removed. I had not seen one of these in 10 years. It was useless. This too must change," he said. |
| The new chief inspector also predicted that the privatisation of police services would "increase markedly" as forces tried to protect the frontline during the next round of policing cuts. | The new chief inspector also predicted that the privatisation of police services would "increase markedly" as forces tried to protect the frontline during the next round of policing cuts. |
| His stress on crime prevention appears to clash with the stated policy of the home secretary, Theresa May, that the only police target she is interested in is catching criminals. | His stress on crime prevention appears to clash with the stated policy of the home secretary, Theresa May, that the only police target she is interested in is catching criminals. |
| Winsor, a lawyer and the former rail regulator, was a controversial choice by May for the job. He is the first chief inspector of constabulary not to have been a police officer. | Winsor, a lawyer and the former rail regulator, was a controversial choice by May for the job. He is the first chief inspector of constabulary not to have been a police officer. |
| He has spent the first six months of the job listening to the views of officers and now says he is ready to set out his ideas. | He has spent the first six months of the job listening to the views of officers and now says he is ready to set out his ideas. |
| "The purpose of the police is to prevent crime taking place and to keep people safe," said Winsor. "Sir Robert Peel, who founded the modern police service in 1829, said the primary test is the absence of crime and disorder." | "The purpose of the police is to prevent crime taking place and to keep people safe," said Winsor. "Sir Robert Peel, who founded the modern police service in 1829, said the primary test is the absence of crime and disorder." |
| Winsor said in his speech at the Royal United Services Institute that virtually all the considerable costs incurred by the criminal justice system were downstream of a crime after it was committed. "Prevention is far better than cure in policing and criminal justice. If we can prevent an offence taking place, we can prevent fewer victims which is critical and also we save all of those costs," he said. | Winsor said in his speech at the Royal United Services Institute that virtually all the considerable costs incurred by the criminal justice system were downstream of a crime after it was committed. "Prevention is far better than cure in policing and criminal justice. If we can prevent an offence taking place, we can prevent fewer victims which is critical and also we save all of those costs," he said. |
| The chief inspector denied that his emphasis on crime prevention clashed with May's single focus on catching criminals: "The home secretary has said the only measure she is interested in is the absence of crime, which is pretty much the same as that set out by Sir Robert Peel," he said. | The chief inspector denied that his emphasis on crime prevention clashed with May's single focus on catching criminals: "The home secretary has said the only measure she is interested in is the absence of crime, which is pretty much the same as that set out by Sir Robert Peel," he said. |
| Winsor added that the test of police efficiency had to be the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action to deal with it. He said that examining how well each of the 43 forces in England and Wales prevented crime and how well officers were trained in preventative techniques would be a major feature of his work in the coming year. | Winsor added that the test of police efficiency had to be the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action to deal with it. He said that examining how well each of the 43 forces in England and Wales prevented crime and how well officers were trained in preventative techniques would be a major feature of his work in the coming year. |
| The chief inspector also signalled that while formal mergers between the 43 forces were not on the immediate agenda, he did expect to see much more joint working on operational matters. | The chief inspector also signalled that while formal mergers between the 43 forces were not on the immediate agenda, he did expect to see much more joint working on operational matters. |
| "Collaborations between police forces will need to intensify to secure economies of scale if the policing frontline is to be protected as we enter the next spending review period," he said. "Forces and police and crime commissioners will, as a matter of necessity, need to find new ways of exploiting opportunities to save money whilst maintaining operational integrity and increasing effectiveness." | "Collaborations between police forces will need to intensify to secure economies of scale if the policing frontline is to be protected as we enter the next spending review period," he said. "Forces and police and crime commissioners will, as a matter of necessity, need to find new ways of exploiting opportunities to save money whilst maintaining operational integrity and increasing effectiveness." |
| He said the provision of services by private sector organisations, and other public sector agencies such as the fire service and health and local authorities, was likely to increase markedly, as efficiencies and economies had to be found. | He said the provision of services by private sector organisations, and other public sector agencies such as the fire service and health and local authorities, was likely to increase markedly, as efficiencies and economies had to be found. |
| "That development is likely to have the greatest success for both partners if these joint ventures are well-designed at the outset, and made sufficiently flexible and adaptable to deal with changed circumstances as the contract period progresses," he said. | "That development is likely to have the greatest success for both partners if these joint ventures are well-designed at the outset, and made sufficiently flexible and adaptable to deal with changed circumstances as the contract period progresses," he said. |
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