Catching burglars and violent crooks must come first, police told
POLICE must put catching burglars and violent thugs ahead of investigating issues like misogyny, a senior officer warned yesterday.
Chief Constable Sara Thornton also said investigations into historical allegations or hate incidents should not be a priority because of the drain on resources.
Ms Thornton, chairing the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), told the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and NPCC Partnership Summit in London: “The public expect an effective response to organised crime, to terrorism and to focus on the vulnerable.
“But they also expect the basics – responding to emergencies, investigating and solving crime and neighbourhood policing. It is this core policing which is seriously stretched.
“We are asked to provide more and more bespoke services that are all desirable – but the simple fact is there are too many desirable and deserving issues.”
issue
Ms Thornton told delegates: “I want us to solve more burglaries and bear down on violence before we make more records of incidents that are not crimes.
“Neither investigating genderbased hate incidents nor investigating allegations against those who have died are bad things to do necessarily – they just cannot be priorities for a service that is over-stretched.
“Giving clarity to the public about core policing is a priority – and it has not received enough attention in recent years.”
Home Secretary Sajid Javid admitted the Government needs to take a “fresh look” at police resources – but insisted “money is not the only issue”.
The number of police officers has fallen by 20,000 since 2010. Meanwhile, Britain is in the middle of a violent crime crisis.
Violent crime surged by 16 per cent, including more than 100 knife offences every day and a 14 per cent rise in homicides in the year to June. And just five per cent of burglaries end up with a suspect in court.
The Government has come under renewed scrutiny this week after failing to allocate frontline
actiOn On cOuntY Lines drug netwOrks
A CRACKDOWN on so-called “county lines” drugs dealers was promised yesterday as it was revealed that 1,500 networks are active.
The National Crime Agency also said that more than 100 groups are operating in worst-hit areas without fear of any action taken against them.
Special powers are used as tactics are being thrashed out with police officers to clamp down on the crisis. Chief constables have been ordered to co-ordinate a response.
The county lines drug market – where dealers travel from inner cities to sell in rural areas – is worth £500million.
Many gangs exploit young children to sell cocaine and heroin fighting bloody battles policing new cash in the Budget. Mr Javid faces a potential showdown with Chancellor Philip Hammond over the police funding formula which is typically settled in December.
The Home Secretary told the conference: “I recognise that demand has risen and that you’re grappling with your budgets.
“While resources are not the whole answer, they are of course a vital part of it.
“That’s why I’m also making on Britain’s streets. NCA director general Lynne Owens told a police summit that criminals were exploiting gaps across the country’s 43 forces.
Five areas hardest hit by county lines gangs rely on local policing, meaning there was no joined-up response.
The NCA is now using “tasking” powers to link policing operations. It is only the second time the agency has used such powers and Home Secretary Sajid Javid was informed several weeks ago.
Police will focus on damage to communities and violence used when assessing which networks to break up first.
Ms Owens said: “We are so concerned that it needs a co-ordinated response.” sure, for example, that police have the right powers.
Mr Javid added: “One of these powers, for instance, is Stop and Search.
“I want officers to feel confident, I want them to feel trusted and supported when they are using Stop and Search, and I will be looking at ways to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency in the use of this power.”