‘We need more investment in the whole public sector’

9 March 2022

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Geoff Bardell says too much police time is spent being a social service than fighting crime as he called for investment right across the public sector.

Geoff was speaking after the publication of the Strategic Review of Policing, which highlighted the amount of resources directed to non-policing issues because of pressures on mental health and care services.

The review found that police devote more than three million investigation hours per year to missing persons, the equivalent of 1,562 full-time police officers per year or 36 officers per force. The total annual cost of these investigations is estimated to be between £394m and £509m.

Geoff said: “It’s clear that policing is seen as the service of last resort and too much of our time is spent, essentially, being a social service dealing with issues that other agencies don’t have the resources to.

“The public want us fighting crime, not picking up the pieces of family breakdowns and mental health crises when there’s no risk to anyone.

“There just aren’t enough police to do our day job, without resources being diverted elsewhere, but we can’t always say no. Policing doesn’t stop at 5pm.

“We need proper funding across the whole of the public sector – including policing – to ensure the appropriate services are dealing with appropriate issues and incidents.

“We need a police service, and other services fit for the 21st century.”

The Strategic Review of Policing, chaired by Sir Michael Barber and carried out by the Police Foundation think tank, contains 56 recommendations urging radical reform to police culture, skills and training and organisational structure.

These include:

• Creation of a new Crime Prevention Agency
• Expansion of the role of the National Crime Agency so it in effect becomes a new FBI for the UK
• Introduction of a new licence to practise for all police officers that is renewed every five years and subject to strict conditions
• Merger of back office functions across the 43 forces that could save hundreds of millions of pounds
• Investment in frontline policing, training and technology to modernise the service from top to bottom.

Geoff criticised the proposal for a licence to practise, saying it was another barrier to recruitment and retention.

“We already have issues within policing with retaining our experienced officers,” he said, “For example, our Detectives in Crisis campaign has highlighted the pressures our investigators under and the lack of trained detectives.

“A licence to practise is another hurdle to recruitment and to retention. Officers already swear an oath on joining the service and there are processes in place to hold them accountable, so such a licence is unnecessary.”

Launching the review’s final report, Sir Michael said: “There is a crisis of confidence in policing in this country which is corroding public trust.

“The reasons are deep rooted and complex – some cultural and others systemic. However taken together, unless there is urgent change, they will end up destroying the principle of policing by consent that has been at the heart of British policing for decades.

“Policing in this country is at a crossroads and it cannot stand still whilst the world changes so quickly around it. Now is the moment to move forward quickly on the path of reform. The warning signs if we do nothing are flashing red and we ignore them at our peril.

“This report represents the most comprehensive review of policing for a generation and sets out an agenda for fundamental change. It is the product of over two years of work and engagement with the police and a range of different stakeholders.

“Everyone recognises the need to shift the odds, which too often are stacked in favour of the criminal.

“We need a modern police service fit for the future which is at the cutting edge of technology and training. And we need it urgently.

“I believe the will is there and that the talented police officers who work tirelessly for the public would be the strongest champions of change.”

Read the report.