Abbott: Crisis in policing and crime is a crisis caused by political decision-making
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Random stop and search ineffective and poisons community relations,
Shadow Home Secretary tells National Police Chiefs’ Council
Speaking at the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of
Police and Crime Commissioners summit this morning, Shadow Home
Secretary Diane Abbott MP has accused the government of creating a
“crisis” in policing and crime that is a “crisis of policy, not of
policing”. Diane Abbott criticised the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Philip Hammond for...Request free trial
Random stop and search ineffective and poisons community relations,
Shadow Home Secretary tells National Police Chiefs’ Council
Speaking at the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners summit this morning, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP has accused the government of creating a “crisis” in policing and crime that is a “crisis of policy, not of policing”. Diane Abbott criticised the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond for failing to provide more funding for regular policing in Monday’s Budget: “A rise in funding for Counter-Terrorism policing follows cuts made by the Coalition Government. All of this at a time when the terror threat has been rising.
“But there was nothing about all other types of policing. All that was promised was a review in December. There have been innumerable reviews, assessments and analyses. What the police need is more resources.”
“The Home Secretary told you yesterday that he wanted to increase stop and search. This is despite research which shows that random stop and search is ineffective. That research comes from the Home Office. What does work is intelligence-led stop and search, and I am in favour of it in those circumstances. Then, it is effective. Otherwise it is ineffective and poisons community relations”.
“We have real-time access to the Europol database which allows us to effectively monitor suspected terrorists, organised gangsters, people and drug traffickers and so on. But Europol is an EU institution. When we leave the EU, we will be outside it. Worse, there will be no legal basis to retain the data we have already accumulated. Unless new arrangements are in place, it will be illegal for our police forces to access or even retain this data.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
“There’s of course also been a worrying and unacceptable recent rise in serious violent crime.” Sajid Javid, speech to NPCC/APCC Annual conference, 31 October 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-speech-to-apcc-and-npcc-joint-summit-2018?utm_source=ba92605f-d92e-4a48-8e19-46aee582e1e8&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
“I do recognise the pressures on policing. I’ll fight on the police’s behalf so you have the resources you need to do your jobs effectively… I recognise there is a need for more resources. I don’t think the increases over the past 3 years have been enough” Sajid Javid, Police Superintendents Annual Conference, 11 September 2018,https://news.sky.com/story/sajid-javid-admits-police-do-not-have-enough-resources-as-he-faces-pay-anger-11495380
“We can no longer say that crime spikes are Sadiq Khan’s fault when it is rising in Norfolk and Devon as well. We are at the point where we need more money just to stand still.” Whitehall source, Sunday Times, 21 October 2018, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/warning-as-philip-hammond-rejects-rise-in-police-funds-xlrkr6lbc
“There has been a major shift in the threats we are facing from organised crime, terrorism and Russia. That’s just a fact. The police need more resources.” Unnamed minister, Sunday Times, 21 October 2018, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/warning-as-philip-hammond-rejects-rise-in-police-funds-xlrkr6lbc
NAO, Financial Sustainability of Police Forces in England and Wales, 11 September 2018, https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Financial-sustainability-of-police-forces-in-England-and-Wales-2018.pdf
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