Government response: Policing Priorities report

The Home Affairs Committee has published the Government response to its report policing priorities.

The response is published here.

The report is also attached to this email.

Earlier this year, the Home Affairs Committee approved the appointment of a new Chief Inspector of Policing, the former Merseyside Chief Constable Andy Cooke.  Since then, Mr Cooke has repeatedly made news by calling on police forces to focus on preventing and solving crime. 

We have chosen to inquire into the Priorities of Policing at a time when public confidence in the police is low.  The Metropolitan Police Service, the country’s largest, is in special measures – remarkably, so are five more forces in England: Greater Manchester, Cleveland, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Wiltshire.  Far from solving crimes, forces are accused of not even recording them, contrasting with Mr Cooke’s view that police should attend every burglary.