‘HMIC is right – we need more investment in policing’

14 March 2022

Hertfordshire Police Federation secretary Al Wollaston has called for the Government investment needed for policing to keep up with the demands of the digital world.

Al’s comments come after Sir Tom Winsor, chief inspector at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), published his State of Policing report, which sets out an assessment of policing in England and Wales.

In his report, Sir Tom said that online crime is now the most prevalent type of crime and that internet fraud has exploded, adding that police have struggled to keep up.

Al said: “We need the investment now right across policing to make it fit for the 21st Century, but most notably in terms of digital and online crime.

“We’re dealing with complicated and sophisticated criminals and we need to ensure we have the tools to tackle them.

“But it’s not just investment in technology that we need. A decade of austerity has undermined officers’ morale, has eroded the infrastructure that supports them, and has decimated police numbers to tackle crime.

“We need sustained, long-term investment to meet the demands of modern-day policing,” he added.

Sir Tom, in his final report after almost a decade in post, commended the courage and commitment of police officers and staff.

His report also drew attention to the load placed on police by “the chronically insufficient public provision of treatment of mental ill health”, as well as the need for improved vetting of officers and staff, the state of the criminal justice system, and the system of police accountability.

Sir Tom, in the HMICFRS report, said: “In the past 10 years, the police service has come a long way.

“Critical advances have been made in several fields of policing, including domestic abuse, child protection, the quality of some investigations, relations with the public and workforce diversity. Police officers and staff have a very great deal of which to be proud.

“But major shortcomings in policing persist, and these need to be addressed. Criminality is often now complex and far more sophisticated, and investigations can take far longer. If the police continue to use 20th-century methods to try to cope with 21st-century technology, they will continue to fall further and further behind.

“The police service cannot meet 100 per cent of public expectations for, say, 70 per cent of their efficient cost. The public, through their elected representatives, must decide how much risk and harm they are prepared to accept, and whether they will pay more for higher levels of public safety.

“One of the most important things the police must do, especially in London, is to rebuild public trust, which has recently been damaged. Public confidence in the police is more than precious, it is essential.

“As I reflect on the past decade in policing, I commend the courage and commitment of police officers and staff across the country. The severity of the problems that our police service now faces should not be underestimated, but the public should be reassured by the strong, pragmatic and professional approach of police officers and staff. They should stand in admiration of their fortitude and bravery in facing sometimes mortal danger and the worst things which happen to people and which people do to others.

“The public can, and must, trust the police.”

Al added: “The  reputation of policing has been hit recently and we need to work to retain the public’s trust.

“But they can be assured that day in, day out, the vast majority of police officers are committed to serving their communities, to protecting the public, and to tackling crime and often putting their own lives on the line while doing that.”