Government told to stop conning the public over “extra police” officers

13 September 2024

There are no "extra police officers" to deal with the relentless demand policing faces, the Government has been told.

Nick Smart, President of the Superintendents’ Association, highlighted at the organisation’s annual conference this week that “the police service has been financially drowning for more than a decade”.

He told Police Minister Diana Johnson that the quelling of the recent riots was an example of what a well-resourced police service could do.

And that rather than the Government conning the public over there being “extra police” officers available when needed, it should instead invest in there genuinely being extra police officers.

Mr Smart said: “When the recent disorder took place, public order trained officers were mobilised across the country, mutual aid agreements were invoked, and we responded well. No one will forget the images of police officers, wearing protective equipment, lined up with riot shields and facing waves of relentless violence and disorder.

“The prime minister, when describing these officers, referred to the capability as a “standing army of specialist public duty officers”. Let’s be clear. There were never any “extra” police officers. There was no standing army of officers, waiting and ready on the sidelines. There is no ‘box of riot cops’ to break out.

“Public order officers are colleagues who have volunteered to be trained in this specialist capability, similar to officers who choose to become firearms trained, and in addition to their normal roles. There were no extra police officers. This is a small point, but it is important. Communication is critical.

“The public would have understood this description to mean that when chaos ensues and there are riots on the streets, we can push a button and bring in extra police to respond. That simply isn’t true.

“The reality is and was, that police officers in every force were taken from their day-to-day duties, or had rest days and family commitments cancelled, and were made available to respond where intelligence told us there was a risk of threat and harm.

“Officers stood ready to protect people and property, putting themselves directly in harm’s way and taking them away from their usual jobs. But this had an impact. We have a finite, limited number of police officers, and when crisis happens, other areas of policing suffer.

“Difficult decisions would have been made around what to prioritise, with resources taken to deal with the unrest.

“Simply put - There has been a chronic under-investment in policing for years and this must change. Our service has been financially drowning for more than a decade.”

He added: “Austerity saw the service paired to the bone, hitting a 40 year low of around 122,000 officers in this period, from a headcount of around 144,000 in 2010. There is a widely held dislike of the phrase “uplift programme”. It was a ‘restoration’ programme. For many, including myself, the term is misleading. We have not had our numbers ‘uplifted’ by the last government, we merely had them restored to where they were 10 years ago, pre-cuts, pre-austerity.”

Mr Smart told the Police Minister that it was clear in his view that “policing is not a priority.” He added: “Was the recent unrest not the perfect example of why a well-resourced, sustainable police service is so essential?”