Policing has made real efforts to improve, but more fundamental
reform needs to be made to secure far-reaching improvements, His
Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary has said.
In his third annual assessment of policing in England and Wales,
Sir Andy Cooke has said now is the moment to make sure the
Government's Safer Streets mission and other policing reforms are
properly funded, otherwise they risk falling short. They are
vital to building the public's trust and making our communities
safer. The previous Home Secretary should be recognised for
her determination in taking forward reform and her support of
policing over many years.
There has been a renewed focus on neighbourhood policing to help
forces be more visible and responsive to community concerns.
While further work is needed in this area, pledges such as the
Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are welcomed and helping forces
to strengthen their approach.
New structures proposed by the then Home Secretary in November
2024, including a National Centre of Policing, should also help
improve police procurement and access to technology and
equipment. By centralising many support functions that
forces rely on, such as IT, it could improve consistency between
forces and potentially lead to efficiency savings.
In previous ‘State of Policing' reports, HM Chief Inspector of
Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke QPM DL raised his concerns over the
decline in public confidence in the police service. This year, he
has said it is promising that the evidence shows that this
appears to be levelling out, but policing must continue to make
concerted efforts before public confidence starts to
improve.
Sir Andy also mentioned ongoing challenges facing forces that he
has previously highlighted in recent years, and which still need
to be addressed, including:
- modern policing continues to depend on the effective use of
data and technology, yet many forces are relying on outdated
systems and struggling with poor data management. Police forces
haven't kept pace with rapid advancements in technology, which if
embraced, will bring opportunities to operate more efficiently
and effectively;
- the absence of multi-year funding and capital grants for
forces remains a major barrier to making some of the long-term
planning and investments that the police need, such as buildings,
equipment and technology. Police forces must embrace innovation
to meet the policing challenges of the future;
- the way funding for police forces is raised and distributed
needs to change because it continues to be unfair and outdated.
The police allocation formula, which is used to distribute
central government grants, has remained unchanged since 2013;
and
- high levels of inexperience across the workforce, and
officers and staff continuing to feel undervalued and experience
low morale.
Sir Andy also stressed the importance of good leadership and
management. All police forces should be well led and managed to
make sure they are efficient and effective. Key to this is making
sure leaders are visible, set clear expectations, provide support
and hold people to account.
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy
Cooke said:
“At the end of last year, the then Home Secretary set out her
plans for major reforms in policing and her intention to increase
trust and confidence in the police. These reforms are welcome and
required, and I pay tribute to her personal commitment to driving
forward police reform.
“And it is clear across policing, that there is ambition for
change to improve efficiency and effectiveness of policing. Chief
constables are working towards the Safer Streets mission with a
collaborative approach and vigour.
“However, the reforms require substantial upfront investment, and
sustained commitment to succeed. They must be sufficiently
funded. Without enough money, there is a risk that the ambitions
of the Government and police service will fall short, and the
much-needed reforms to policing either won't happen or won't
succeed.
“Police funding has increased, yet many forces remain under
strain due to rising demand and a variety of cost
pressures. As I have set out in previous reports, the way
the funding is distributed still needs to change because it is
outdated and unfair. And the absence of a capital grant for
forces remains a major barrier to making some of the long-term
investments that the police need. In such a comprehensive and
ambitious programme of reform, not reforming police funding would
be a missed opportunity.
"For example, forces would benefit from some financial certainty,
such as through a multi-year funding settlement that sets out how
much forces can expect to receive.
“Change is needed now for policing to improve the service it
provides to the public and how it deals with the evolving
challenges it faces. There is a great deal to do to build the
public's trust and make our communities safer. As the police
service needs time and opportunity to make the necessary changes,
I have chosen not to make any recommendations in my ‘State of
Policing' report this year.”
