Chair speaks out over proposal for policing licence to practise
9 March 2022
West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke said proposals for a licence to practise would be a barrier to recruitment and retention.
Rich said the plan would put people off joining the service and make it more difficult to keep experienced officers.
The proposal would see the introduction of a new licence to practise for all police officers that is renewed every five years and subject to strict conditions.
It’s contained in the newly-published Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales, which was carried out by Sir Michael Barber and the think tank Police Foundation.
Rich said: “The Federation has always been against the introduction of a licence to practise. Our members already make an oath when they begin their policing career and there are processes in place to address poor performance.
“We understand and accept the need for scrutiny, and for officers to be held accountable for their actions and inactions.
“But this feels like a blunt tool that will put people off joining the service, at a time when we’re trying to recruit 20,000 new officers.
“And it’ll make it even harder to retain our best and most experienced officers, who are already face issues around pay and morale, as our recent survey found.
Other proposals in the Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales included:
- 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 would save hundreds of millions of pounds
- Investment in frontline policing, training and technology to modernise the service from top to bottom.
The review also highlighted the amount of resources directed to non-policing issues because of pressures on mental health and care services.
Police devote more than three million investigation hours per year to missing persons, the report found, 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.
Rich said: “We’re there to protect life and limb but all too often we’re called to a missing person, a family breakdown, or a mental health incident when there’s no danger.
“Policing is seen as the service of last resort as we can’t say no and we’re still working after 5pm.
“All of which takes us away from tackling crime and anti-social behaviour – there’s just not enough officers to deal with everything.
“We need a fully funded and resourced police service would allow the service to not just react, but also to be proactive in its thinking.
“But we also need fully-funded social care and mental health services to ensure the appropriate skills and expertise are responding to incidents.”
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.”
