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Police numbers 'not sustainable' Police numbers 'not sustainable'
(about 1 hour later)
Keeping police numbers at their current level is not sustainable over the next three years, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary has said. A report on the future of policing has said the number of officers in England and Wales will have to be reduced.
In a report after a year-long review, Sir Ronnie Flanagan said many police jobs could be carried out more effectively by clerical staff. The review was carried out by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who said more tasks should be performed by civilian staff.
The report proposes cuts to bureaucracy and says only 10% of policing tasks require fully-trained police officers. He proposes cuts to bureaucracy to make the police more effective.
But the Police Federation has warned it could lead to a "de-skilled" force. It came as the Home Secretary scrapped forms recording stop and account incidents in three areas and across England and Wales by the end of 2008.
'Slight reduction'
At a briefing, Sir Ronnie Flanagan predicted that financial settlements for the police over the next three years would be tight.
With workforce costs taking up 80% of police budgets, he said that maintaining police numbers at their current level was not sustainable.
Launching the report, he said there would be a slight reduction but refused to say how many of the 141,000 posts would go.
Jobs such as staffing the front desk of police stations and processing suspects in custody suites could be carried out by non police officers, he said.
READ THE FINAL REPORT The Review of Policing by Sir Ronnie Flanagan [946.32KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader hereREAD THE FINAL REPORT The Review of Policing by Sir Ronnie Flanagan [946.32KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
It would produce a "paramilitary force", warned chairwoman Jan Berry. In the review, Sir Ronnie also called for a total overhaul of stop and search, and the way it is recorded.
He also said police did not need to collect the same amount of paperwork for a broken window as a murder.
All projections suggest they can save at least five million man hours a year by cutting red tape - the equivalent of 2,500 officers - Sir Ronnie said.
Chairwoman of the Police Federation Jan Berry said taken as a whole the report could put a lot of police officers back on the street.
But she warned, reducing the jobs police did could lead to a "de-skilled" force if the police role became purely "confrontational".
"It produces a completely different kind of police service, one that's only dealing with confrontational situations, like a paramilitary force," she said."It produces a completely different kind of police service, one that's only dealing with confrontational situations, like a paramilitary force," she said.
"That's not the police service that traditionally this country had, and we have got to be very careful before we fall into that type of police service.""That's not the police service that traditionally this country had, and we have got to be very careful before we fall into that type of police service."
The review is sensibly suggesting ways in which we can better support sworn officers Chief Constable Ken JonesAcpoThe review is sensibly suggesting ways in which we can better support sworn officers Chief Constable Ken JonesAcpo
The report says that when civilian staff are trained to carry out duties, such as taking statements, the evidence suggests they do so "more effectively", and that "further work" is needed to explore this approach.The report says that when civilian staff are trained to carry out duties, such as taking statements, the evidence suggests they do so "more effectively", and that "further work" is needed to explore this approach.
'Confronting the threats'
The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Chief Constable Ken Jones, welcomed the report saying Sir Ronnie had "laid down the gauntlet to all those involved in the leadership and governance of policing".The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Chief Constable Ken Jones, welcomed the report saying Sir Ronnie had "laid down the gauntlet to all those involved in the leadership and governance of policing".
"Acpo is determined to pick up this opportunity and to do all we can to make neighbourhoods as safe and secure as possible while confronting the threats we face from organised crime and terrorism," he said."Acpo is determined to pick up this opportunity and to do all we can to make neighbourhoods as safe and secure as possible while confronting the threats we face from organised crime and terrorism," he said.
HAVE YOUR SAY Civilian staff can take care of all paper work done by police officers. They can provide support to police officers on the beat by staying in contact with them on radio/phone.Jawed Iqbal, OldhamSend us your comments
"The lynchpin of effective policing was and will remain the constable. In the policing context the sworn officer is our 'GP'."The lynchpin of effective policing was and will remain the constable. In the policing context the sworn officer is our 'GP'.
"The review is sensibly suggesting ways in which we can better support sworn officers. It is not advocating reduction or replacement.""The review is sensibly suggesting ways in which we can better support sworn officers. It is not advocating reduction or replacement."
Support officers criticised
The report follows criticism from the Police Federation in Cumbria that Community Support Officers (CSOs) were replacing regular officers.
And in September former home secretary David Blunkett criticised two CSOs who did not attempt to rescue a 10-year-old boy who drowned in a pond in Wigan.
The officers said they were untrained in rescues and had "acted correctly".
HAVE YOUR SAY Civilian staff can take care of all paper work done by police officers. They can provide support to police officers on the beat by staying in contact with them on radio/phone.Jawed Iqbal, OldhamSend us your comments
In his report, Sir Ronnie also calls for a "radical overhaul" of police station reception areas and the service provided to the public.In his report, Sir Ronnie also calls for a "radical overhaul" of police station reception areas and the service provided to the public.
"Dingy surroundings, out-of-date posters and poor or slow service," he said, "have a negative impact on public satisfaction and confidence.""Dingy surroundings, out-of-date posters and poor or slow service," he said, "have a negative impact on public satisfaction and confidence."
The report also criticises the Home Office.The report also criticises the Home Office.
It describes the decision to withdraw funding from the national non-emergency telephone number, 101, as "deeply regrettable".It describes the decision to withdraw funding from the national non-emergency telephone number, 101, as "deeply regrettable".
Sir Ronnie has an extensive track record of managing police forces.
He is best known for his former job in his native Northern Ireland, where he was Chief Constable of both the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
During his time at the helm, he presided over some of the biggest changes in policing and witnessed some of the most significant events in Northern Ireland's recent history, including the Good Friday Agreement and Omagh bomb.
Do you work for the police service as clerical staff? Can some policing tasks be handed over?Do you work for the police service as clerical staff? Can some policing tasks be handed over?
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