Why the coalition’s police reforms will fail

21 August 2010

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The Home Office has radical plans, but they won’t come to much, says Alasdair Palmer. Less money and fewer paid officers will inevitably mean more crime

Last month when Theresa May, the Home Secretary, launched the coalition’s consultation document on the police, ‘reconnecting police with the people’, she said it would ‘herald the most radical reform of policing in this country for 50 years’.

Unusually for a politician, that was probably an understatement. If the reforms achieve what they are intended to, the nature of the police will be transformed in a way that has no precedent since a national police service was first set up over 150 years ago: control over policing will move from Whitehall and from local authorities to local citizens, reversing a century-long process of centralisation and professionalisation which has made the cops ever more remote from the rest of us.

The idea is a good one and badly needed. But there’s little chances of it actually working. The sad truth is that the coalition’s policing reform is more likely to be a failure, leaving us faced with more crime and fewer policemen.

It’s not the notion of devolving power that’s the problem. Giving people control over the police forces that are supposed to serve them is a great plan. Naturally it has been attacked (and not just by Labour: some Lib Dems have voiced the same anxiety) on the grounds that it threatens to create a police force that ‘panders to populism’. But what else, in a democracy, should the police, or indeed any state institution, do? Democracy requires trusting the people and believing that if we citizens are given the power to make major policy decisions, we will use that power sensibly and wisely — or at least with more wisdom and sense than unelected, unaccountable officials who don’t need to worry about the consequences of their actions. That’s the difference between democracy and oligarchy or bureaucratic tyranny: officials don’t rule — the people do.

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Sir Graphus

August 26th, 2010 11:45am Report this comment

What type of person would volunteer to become a Special Rozzer, for no money? Not sure I'd want to meet one.

How about disbanding the PCSO plastic police troup. Invite the top quarter to apply to be proper rozzers, thus increasing the number of police on the beat (for what on earth to PCSOs do?). Money saved, police increased.

special

August 26th, 2010 12:55pm Report this comment

I'm a so called special rozzer. I'm an educated family man. I spend most of my free time serving my local community. One bad special does not make the whole rotten.

EyeSee

August 26th, 2010 4:18pm Report this comment

I get the feeling reading this article that everything was written to support a thesis rather than facts pointing to a conclusion. Crime is at phenomenal levels and small dips that could as well be a lack of reporting due to to the polices' new policy of not getting involved, as to any actual reduction. The serious crimes continue upward. The problem with the police today is that it is run by political officers. Whilst nearly-conservatives like Cameron might find that useful, Blair was concerned that it was essential to the unchallenged rule that he sought. If they are detached from politicians and put closer to their communities and are forced to respond to those people then we may be modifying the attitude in the right direction to return to proper policing.

Specials are not the answer, but again a society where people volunteer and to protect their community too, is a healing society. I was a special in Suffolk in the Eighties, where I saw some excellent policing. I did over 500 hours a year (getting £20 a quarter boot allowance) and only went out on my own a couple of times. I think this is the way it should be. By all means add to the number of police on the streets by having specials, but they are not trained to the same standard and do not have the experience (not even at 500 hours a year). They should assist the regular officers only.

I am prone to mentioning in these circumstances a night when a sudden thunderstorm broke and the thunder set off many shops alarms in the town centre. I said to the regular that it was clear they were due to the thunder and it was pouring with rain. He said ' I agree, but what if one isn't?' So we got very wet checking doors. Attitude you see, attitude.

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