Chairman: “The very fundamentals of policing are at risk”

THE chairman of South Yorkshire Police says policing’s founder Sir Robert Peel would be “turning in his grave” if he knew the drastic changes the Government are making to the service.

Neil Bowles (pictured) said “some of the reforms being made to the service are putting the very fundamentals of policing at risk”.

He was responding to a speech by police minister Damian Green at the College of Policing. 

Mr Green said police reform will make the service “a more attractive profession” and “more representative of the people it serves”.

However speaking to CopperConnection Mr Bowles rubbished Mr Green’s claims.

Mr Bowles said: “Mr Green claimed reform will make the service “a more attractive profession”. How may I ask? By offering a starting salary less than a Barista? Attacking the independent office of Constable? Sacking officers that cannot complete the bleep test due to an injury on duty?

“He went on to say that the reforms will make the service “more representative of the people it serves.”  We agree the police service should accurately reflect the society it serves. Has the Government carried out an equality impact assessment of its reforms?

“As far as most experts can see these reforms will make the service far less diverse than ever before.”

Mr Bowles added: “The police service is being increasingly stretched, we have seen a drop in numbers of 14,000 officers under the coalition and our members are reporting they are at breaking point.

“In South Yorkshire alone we have seen over 11,000 days (Officers and Staff) lost due to sickness caused by stress in the last three years. This does not include other reasons for sick leave provided by others that may not wish to have stress marked in their personal files. This is impacting on the service we provide to the public and on officer morale.

“Among the latest government reforms, suggested by Tom Winsor in his reviews of policing, is direct entry. This will see those from outside the service leap-frogging the ranks into senior positions without the operational experience, we feel, is necessary to carry out such roles.

“We are particularly concerned that some of the reforms being made such as fitness tests, pre joining qualifications and direct entry – which we fear will lead to the reduction of diversity in the service – will put the very fundamentals of policing at risk, such as policing by the consent of the public.

“Sir Robert Peel will be turning in his grave”.

Mr Green, speaking on 16 October at the College of Policing’s first conference, said all the “transformational elements” of the Government’s police reform programme “will help produce a revolution in the way policing is delivered.” He argued that policing “should be regarded as one of the great professions, alongside those of the law and medicine.”