Despite efforts to rebuild public trust, the police are still
failing to meet the public's expectations and are letting down
too many victims of crime, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of
Constabulary has said.
In his annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Andy
Cooke has said that the police are still struggling to get the
basics right. The chief inspector described inconsistencies
across police forces in responding to the public and
investigating crime as “unjustifiable”.
He called for urgent improvements, stating that without
fundamental reform to the criminal justice system, victims will
continue to struggle to get access to the justice they deserve.
In State of Policing 2023, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary
Andy Cooke QPM DL has also said:
- the level of crime is on a long-term downward trajectory, but
some crime types such as violence against women and girls, are
still highly prevalent in society;
- many officers have high workloads and don't feel valued
enough for the work they do. Forces must do everything they can
to better lead and support their officers and staff; and
- the police funding formula is outdated and unfair. Funding
should be distributed so that it goes to where it is needed
most.
In his report, Andy Cooke has made four recommendations to the
Government and chief constables, which include:
- abolishing the Government's fixed police officer hiring
target so forces can build a more balanced and effective
workforce;
- reviewing how forces are funded to make sure that funds are
distributed according to the needs of communities;
- providing the inspectors of constabulary with the right
powers and enough funding so they can help forces to improve and
make communities safer across England and Wales.
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke
said:
“The police service in England and Wales is an institution that
we, as members of the public, should be able to be proud of. Once
again, this year I have been struck by the dedication and
professionalism shown by the vast majority of police officers and
staff. But the power of the police is dependent on public
approval and respect – something which has been damaged over
recent years.
“We should not have to doubt whether police officers behave in a
lawful, ethical and fair manner, but repeated episodes of
unacceptable or criminal behaviour have brought this into
question. We also shouldn't have to doubt that the police will
quickly pick up the phone when we call them for help. But too
many forces are still failing to get the basics right when it
comes to responding to the public and investigating crime. The
police must consistently show us they deserve our trust and
confidence – both in how they behave and the quality of services
they provide.
“The police's workforce is its greatest asset, but it must be set
up to succeed. Through our inspections we have seen how the
Government's target for officer numbers is preventing many forces
from hiring the right balance of police officers, police staff
and police community support officers. The workforce is also
inexperienced, workloads are sometimes unacceptably high and
morale across many forces is at an all-time low. Senior leaders
need to step up to the mark – the importance of strong leadership
in policing has never been clearer.
“The way the police are funded is an area of increasing concern.
Central government funding does not go where it is needed most
and there is an increasing reliance on raising money through
local council tax. Forces have often had little certainty about
how much money they will receive over a multi-year period. And
for many years, the police haven't received enough funding to
help them make large capital investments, such as purchasing new
ICT systems.
“The inspectorate has been a catalyst for change and reform for
167 years. But now more than ever, the role of the inspectorate
is crucial in ensuring the police can be held to account. Police
forces cannot be allowed to fail, but they need more support to
improve than we can give them with our current powers and
funding. Having sufficient oversight of the performance of police
forces is essential to making communities safer.”
