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Stop scaremongering and prepare for further cuts, Theresa May tells police Stop scaremongering and prepare for further cuts, Theresa May tells police
(35 minutes later)
There is “no ducking the fact” that spending on the police has to face further cuts but it “is perfectly possible” to do it without affecting the quality of neighbourhood policing, the home secretary, Theresa May, has told officers.There is “no ducking the fact” that spending on the police has to face further cuts but it “is perfectly possible” to do it without affecting the quality of neighbourhood policing, the home secretary, Theresa May, has told officers.
She accused the Police Federation of scaremongering and repeatedly “crying wolf” over the impact of the previous round of cuts in police funding as part of the government’s austerity programme – and rejected their claims that further cuts would force them to adopt “paramilitary styles of policing” in Britain.She accused the Police Federation of scaremongering and repeatedly “crying wolf” over the impact of the previous round of cuts in police funding as part of the government’s austerity programme – and rejected their claims that further cuts would force them to adopt “paramilitary styles of policing” in Britain.
“You can choose protest, and continue to shout angrily from the sidelines for the next five years. Or you can choose partnership, and work with me to change policing for the better,” she told the Police Federation annual conference.“You can choose protest, and continue to shout angrily from the sidelines for the next five years. Or you can choose partnership, and work with me to change policing for the better,” she told the Police Federation annual conference.
“I know there are those who say there is no more waste to cut. But I simply do not accept that. It is perfectly possible to make savings without affecting the quality of neighbourhood policing. Because I know – as you do – that there is still wasteful spending in policing and that resources are still not linked to demand,” said May.“I know there are those who say there is no more waste to cut. But I simply do not accept that. It is perfectly possible to make savings without affecting the quality of neighbourhood policing. Because I know – as you do – that there is still wasteful spending in policing and that resources are still not linked to demand,” said May.
“There is no ducking the fact that police spending will have to come down again,” she added.“There is no ducking the fact that police spending will have to come down again,” she added.
In her first public speech since being reappointed home secretary, May said that the next round of savings would mean that police reform would have to go much deeper than “shaving a bit of excess off here” or reducing a bit of bureaucracy there.In her first public speech since being reappointed home secretary, May said that the next round of savings would mean that police reform would have to go much deeper than “shaving a bit of excess off here” or reducing a bit of bureaucracy there.
She said the next phase of her police reform programme would include technological changes such as transforming police cars into police stations and the wider adoption of body-worn video cameras. But it would also include moves to reduce demand on policing at a time when crime is falling.She said the next phase of her police reform programme would include technological changes such as transforming police cars into police stations and the wider adoption of body-worn video cameras. But it would also include moves to reduce demand on policing at a time when crime is falling.
This will include £15m extra funding to reduce the use of police cells to detain people with mental health problems. New moves will be made to ensure much closer working between the police, fire and emergency services.This will include £15m extra funding to reduce the use of police cells to detain people with mental health problems. New moves will be made to ensure much closer working between the police, fire and emergency services.
The home secretary said that a new policing bill in next week’s Queen’s speech would “allow us to go further and faster with reform freeing up police time and putting policing back in the hands of professionals”.The home secretary said that a new policing bill in next week’s Queen’s speech would “allow us to go further and faster with reform freeing up police time and putting policing back in the hands of professionals”.
This will include extending the use of police-led prosecutions to cut the time the police spend waiting for the Crown Prosecution Service, overhauling the police complaints and disciplinary systems and making changes to the oversight of pre-charge bail. The new legislation will also include changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure that no under-18s with mental health problems are detained in police cells.This will include extending the use of police-led prosecutions to cut the time the police spend waiting for the Crown Prosecution Service, overhauling the police complaints and disciplinary systems and making changes to the oversight of pre-charge bail. The new legislation will also include changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure that no under-18s with mental health problems are detained in police cells.
But she also announced a major independent review of the use of local crime and performance targets in every police force in England and Wales. The review, to be led by Irene Curtis, the president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, is to be used to detail the use of targets in each force and to analyse their impact on police officers’ ability to fight crime.But she also announced a major independent review of the use of local crime and performance targets in every police force in England and Wales. The review, to be led by Irene Curtis, the president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, is to be used to detail the use of targets in each force and to analyse their impact on police officers’ ability to fight crime.
She said that she had scrapped national policing targets but they had re-emerged at a local force level.She said that she had scrapped national policing targets but they had re-emerged at a local force level.
“Targets distort operational reality. They remove independent discretion from police officers. And undue focus on one target can lead to crimes that are not measured being neglected altogether,” she said.“Targets distort operational reality. They remove independent discretion from police officers. And undue focus on one target can lead to crimes that are not measured being neglected altogether,” she said.
She said that in South Yorkshire such perverse targets had to led officers focusing on burglary and car theft while ignoring the abuse of hundreds of young girls in Rotherham and Sheffield. She said that in South Yorkshire such perverse targets had led to officers focusing on burglary and car theft while ignoring the abuse of hundreds of young girls in Rotherham and Sheffield.
Her speech was greeted with muted applause by the police conference delegates.Her speech was greeted with muted applause by the police conference delegates.