Death of policing?
Ex-cop’s chilling warning as plan to write off ‘minor’ crimes frees up officers for only 3 days a year
PLANS to ditch thousands of investigations into minor offences will free up fewer than three days a year for police to probe more serious crimes, it has emerged.
Police Scotland bosses have hailed the proposals as a more efficient way to use the force’s dwindling resources and still tackle major incidents.
But a former senior officer warned the policy of allowing some criminals to get away scot-free risked the ‘death of Scottish policing’. Ex-Superintendent Martin Gallagher said it would damage public confidence in the force.
The Mail reported yesterday that more than 24,000 offences will not be taken forward for full investigation across Scotland every year under plans to extend a soft-touch justice pilot scheme which took place in the North East last year.
It has now emerged that rolling out the strategy across Scotland will free up fewer than three working days annually per officer – the time they would have spent dealing with minor crimes.
Mr Gallagher said: ‘If the public know the police are not interested in minor crime, it has the potential to become an incrementally worsening situation where the public stop contacting the police through a lack of confidence in action being taken.
‘This may be the thin end of the wedge in the death of Scottish policing as we know it. The police should be about catching criminals – what this policy does is move the police further from this purpose.’
A police evaluation report of the North East pilot found the policy of not investigating minor crimes such as vandalism or garden theft, where there is no CCTV or eyewitness evidence, freed up 2,657 officer hours, allowing them to focus on ‘other priorities’.
Police Scotland estimates the national rollout will lead to a saving of 136,376 ‘police officer investigation hours’ per year, which equates to 21.5 hours for every response and community policing constable in Scotland – fewer than three working days.
Police admit the ‘proportionate response’ scheme was not under consideration prior to the latest round of budget cuts. The evaluation report published on Thursday claimed the new system will lead to a ‘high standard of service within a tightening financial environment’.
The row comes after Chief Superintendent Derek McEwan admitted manpower shortages in Fife meant raiding the homes of drug-dealers was not always possible.
He said there are occasions when his division does not have the officers available to kick down doors. Mr McEwan told councillors in Fife: ‘It does become problematic at times to target drug-dealers.
‘Sometimes we are not actually able to execute warrants
‘Problematic to target dealers’
at the most productive time to do it; sometimes we have to execute warrants when the resources are there.’
Mr McEwan warned that almost 400 fewer officers, budget cuts and increasing demands have led the force in Fife to a ‘tipping point’.
But Chief Superintendent Rob Hay defended the ‘proportionate response’ plan.
He said: ‘It treats the public with honesty and doesn’t require them to repeat their report on a number of occasions only for it to be filed as “undetected” weeks later.’
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: ‘Building and maintaining public confidence remains key to any change in approach.’