Police blame cuts as bobbies retreat from the streets
ONE in five police forces fail to provide a good service, a watchdog warned last night.
Some chief constables are endangering the traditional role of the ‘bobby on the beat’ as they slash officer numbers to cope with budget cuts, it was claimed.
They were also criticised for getting rid of staff best placed to tackle modern threats such as cyber crime, fraud and child abuse as they battle to balance the books.
Tom Winsor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, suggested many police chiefs are ill-equipped to look outside the public sector for help.
He accused leaders of suffering from a ‘fear’ of private firms when they are looking for new IT contracts and the best value equipment.
Eight of the 43 police forces in England and Wales – including Bedfordshire, Surrey, Dorset and Lincolnshire – were found to ‘require improvement’ in an annual assessment.
The remaining four which failed to come up to standard were Dyfed Powys, Northamptonshire, South Yorkshire and Cleveland.
And one force, Humberside, was branded inadequate – a category used for the first time – as senior officers were told to take urgent measures to improve their work.
Chief constables were warned that unless they become more efficient some forces will go bust. Others may become ‘unviable’ if their plans do not match their budgets.
They were criticised for slashing police numbers to meet cuts, rather than reforming their services to tackle the crimes of the future. Officials said leaders must improve their understanding of demands, including the changing nature of crime.
Forces were also blasted for their ‘weak and ageing’ computer systems which must ‘improve considerably’ if police are to stand any chance against modern crooks. Mr Winsor said ministers and senior police officers must focus on building a ‘more skilful workforce led by leaders of high ability’.
He said chief constables are struggling to secure ‘sufficiently adequate’ contracts with private firms and must ‘raise their game’. ‘There is a fear of the private sector by senior officers when they are procuring kit because there is a significant lack of commercial skills at the head of the police service,’ he added.
The findings came as the police inspectorate published a 103-page report rating forces’ performance across a wide range of measures.
The Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) assessments looked at how officers tackle crime, whether they provide value and what the public think of them.
Front line police representatives said the report must serve as a ‘wake-up call’ and that there should be a ‘proper debate’ on what the public expect from their force.
Chief constables are braced for the outcome of the Government’s spending review next month, which is expected to outline further cuts to their budgets.
There is increasing pressure for forces to consider formal mergers, something ministers have made clear they do not support.
Steve White, of the Police Federation, said: ‘How many forces need to fail, putting the public at risk, before something is done?
‘The time is right to be considering a proper review of policing, what it delivers, how it delivers it, with whom it works with and how it is funded.’
Lancashire chief constable Steve Finnigan, who has national responsibility for police performance, said his colleagues face ‘difficult choices’.
He said: ‘There need to be fundamental changes to the way we police if we are to maintain public safety with significant reductions to our budget.’
It comes after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said earlier this year that officers might be too overstretched to attend every burglary.
‘Putting the public at risk’