Murder cases being investigated from home, claims police chief

‘You can have a few more cups of tea during the day than normally and it is more of a relaxed atmosphere’

POLICE detectives are investigating rapes and murders from home, including in areas with some of the worst crime rates in the country, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

Several forces now have official “hybrid working” policies which allow officers to carry out inquiries without leaving their houses.

Simon Kempton, national treasurer at the Police Federation, said that although many duties need to be done in person, there were “some, like detectives, that are still working at home”.

Explaining the type of work that would not require being in the office, he said: “Broadly speaking, it could be pretty much any sort of an inquiry that could be done with a laptop or a phone.

“Whether it’s shoplifting or a murder or anything in between – anything that can be done from wherever. I think what the pandemic showed is that we can think slightly more laterally.”

One force that allows officers to work at home is Hampshire Constabulary, which has the seventh highest number of crimes out of the 43 forces in England and Wales.

Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies have a joint “modern workplace” policy that says that supervisors should “manage performance by outcome” and “treat individuals fairly regardless of the individual’s location”.

Durham Constabulary stated in a report that the increase in working from home has improved “work-life balance and overall well being” for staff and as such will remain in place.

A government source said it was “baffling” that officers were working from home, adding: “It sounds like they are taking the public for fools.

“Surely you would get far better challenges and inspiration – as well as the ability to scrutinise leads and ideas with your colleagues – in the office rather than sitting on your own at home.”

It comes amid a crackdown on Whitehall

officials working at home, led by Jacob Rees-mogg, the Cabinet minister in charge of government efficiency.

He has been vocal about his frustration at the refusal of civil servants to return to offices full-time, months after the Government lifted all working from home guidance put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Zoë Wakefield, the chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, said that hybrid working has been a success in her force and was likely to remain in place for any officers who are able to do it. “For example, in our main investigations department, different teams will take it in turns to be the duty team to deal with people in custody, then they obviously have to be in the building,” she said.

“But when they are on their inquiry days they could either be in the station or be at home.”

Ms Wakefield said it is “definitely positive” for officers’ work-life balance if you can “have some days [when] you know you don’t need to worry about fighting traffic, you can probably have a few more cups of tea during the day than you do normally and it is a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere”.