Protecting neighbourhood policing a ‘challenge’, says HMIC

MAINTAINING neighbourhood policing is likely to be a “challenge”, an HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report has warned.

Police officers will become “less visible” on Britain’s streets because forces are failing to properly manage their finances in the face of Government spending cuts, HMIC stated.

Police forces across England and Wales have had to make substantial savings as part of public spending cuts over the past five years, and are bracing themselves for a further round.

The next Comprehensive Spending Review is on 25 November.

The HMIC report said police officers are likely to become an increasingly rare sight on the streets of England and Wales in five years’ time, with fewer officers on patrol in neighbourhood roles.

It stated: “Policing in five years’ time is likely to look different to now: smaller, less costly and perhaps less visible.

“Maintaining visible neighbourhood policing, rather than becoming a mainly reactive service, is likely to be a challenge – and the public will need reassurance if policing becomes less visible.”

As part of the inspection, a survey of 26,458 people was carried out by IPSOS MORI, looking into public satisfaction with the service provided by their local police force.

Of the people surveyed, 36% thought the visibility of the police in their area has got worse and 31% thought the presence of uniformed police in their area has fallen.

HM Inspector Mike Cunningham said: “The next five years will be more challenging for forces as they strive to make further reductions in budgets and workforce, while dealing with increasingly complex crime. Policing is entering uncharted waters.

“Forces have made great strides in assessing the current demand for their service, however they need to improve their ability to forecast demand. Only by achieving this level of understanding can forces make informed decisions on how to make best use of their resources.

“Typically, forces think in terms of numbers of officers and staff when developing workforce plans, rather than their skills and capabilities that will be required in the future. They need to start building their capability now, informed by a clearer understanding of future demand.”

Steve White, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “This report should be a wake-up call for the government and the country regarding the future delivery of policing. It makes clear that despite Herculean efforts, the impact of budgets cuts on policing is now taking its toll.”

Steve Finnigan, The National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead on Performance Management, said: “In preparation for further cuts in the upcoming Spending Review, chief constables are preparing to make some very difficult choices about what we prioritise and how we use our resources; that includes looking at how neighbourhood policing is delivered.

“There need to be fundamental changes to the way we police if we are to maintain public safety with significant reductions to our budget.”

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “This report also shows, as HMIC has long said, that what matters is not how many officers you have but how they are deployed.

“Forces need to stop thinking simply in terms of numbers of officers and staff but rather the skills and capabilities needed to meet the future demands of policing.”