'Urgent investment' needed to rebuild trust in service

15 June 2023

The Police Federation’s Welsh lead has called for the Government to urgently invest in policing to help rebuild trust in the service.

Nicky Ryan was responding to the head of the policing inspectorate and his State of Policing report, which sets out an assessment of policing in England and Wales.

In his report, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said the police service was at a historic turning point and there was a limited window of opportunity to repair public trust.

Nicky said: “I agree with Mr Cooke that rebuilding trust has to be a priority for policing.

“We need strong leadership to be able to root out those officers whose behaviour and standards don’t reach the heights we set, and we need strong vetting procedures so they’re prevented from serving in the first place.

“Austerity forced us to move away from neighbourhood policing and it’s led to a drop in public trust and confidence in the service.

“We need to return to it to building those relationships that were the bedrock of policing and trust in it for so long.

“This report acknowledges that neighbourhood policing is fundamental to our relationship with the public and in preventing crime.

“It also acknowledges just how much austerity hit policing – that cuts have consequences.

“We need urgent investment in the service – which must include fair pay so we can recruit and retain the best officers – to allow us to focus on the issues that matter to the public and rebuild that trust.”

In his first annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Mr Cooke has called for major reform, including new powers in law for the inspectors of constabulary.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke

These include giving the chief inspector of constabulary power to give direction to a police force when there are significant concerns about public safety.

The chief inspector described widespread systemic failings in both the police and criminal justice system, both of which threaten to damage public trust in police.

He has called for definitive action to be taken to address these failings, instead of “glossy strategies and mission statements” that do not bring about lasting change.

In the State of Policing 2022, Mr Cooke said the police need to prioritise the issues that matter most to the public.

He added that forces were failing to get the basics right in investigation and responding to the public, and they needed to concentrate on effective neighbourhood policing.

Mr Cooke added that critical elements of the police service’s leadership and workforce arrangements needed substantial reform, such as more scrutiny on vetting and recruitment processes, including for chief officers.

The report’s recommendations to the Government and chief constables, include:

reviewing legislation to make HMICFRS’s remit of inspection clearer and clarifying its power to inspect policing functions delivered by police and crime commissioners;

re-establishing the role of the inspectors of constabulary in selecting and appointing police chief officers; and

new research into the deterrent value of stop and search and the causes of disproportionality in its use.

Mr Cooke said: “I was a police officer for 36 years before I took this job. I am in no doubt of the dedication, bravery and commitment of the vast majority of police officers and staff.

“But there are clear and systemic failings throughout the police service in England and Wales and, thanks to a series of dreadful scandals, public trust in the police is hanging by a thread.

“I am calling for substantial reform to give the inspectors of constabulary more power to ensure we are able to do everything necessary to help police forces improve.

“Over the years, we have repeatedly called for change. There are only so many times we can say the same thing in different words – it is now time for the Government to bring in new legislation to strengthen our recommendations.

“Change needs to start at the top. Chief constables and police and crime commissioners need to do more to make sure their forces are efficient and to get a grip on their priorities.

“The police are not there to be the first port of call for people in mental health crisis or to uphold social justice. They are there to uphold the law.

“Forces need to show professionalism, get the basics right when it comes to investigating crime, and respond properly when someone dials 999.

“This is what matters most to the communities they serve and this is the way forward for the police to regain the public’s trust.

“The fundamental principle of policing by consent, upon which our police service is built, is at risk – and it is past time to act.”

Read the report.