POLICING may end up focusing more on statistics than the quality of its service to the public if controversial new league table plans are put in place, South Yorkshire Police Federation has warned.<\/p>\n
Home Secretary Priti Patel is reported to be drawing up plans for league tables that would rank police forces on their success in cutting serious crime.<\/p>\n
According to The Times newspaper, police chiefs have been told they will be measured in their success in cutting six crime types \u2013 including homicide, serious violence and cybercrime. The Home Office will compare their performance against national benchmarks in what it said was a \u201crelentless focus on cutting crime\u201d.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a plan endorsed by senior police leaders or Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair, who fears it could lead to forces worrying about statistics and climbing the league rather than how best to protect their communities.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt\u2019s a big no from me. We already have this, in my view, because HMICFRS already ranks forces.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeagues tables can drive inappropriate culture. It\u2019s something the force is actively trying to address in terms of culture because what we have seen sometimes in the past is that statistics take precedence when it should be about quality of service.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe force recognises that, it\u2019s saying \u2018yes, we need to get the numbers right, but we also need to make sure that we\u2019re providing a quality service\u2019, and we have been firmly behind that as the Federation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just worry that this would potentially undo that across the board, and you\u2019ll then see inappropriate practices coming in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the league table is measuring stop and search, people end up being stopped and searched inappropriately. If it measures arrests, people might get arrested when they possibly wouldn\u2019t have been in other circumstances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it would drive improper practice across the country, not just in our force, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a good thing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Critics of the plans also say it won\u2019t address the perceived poor view of policing by some sections of the public, which according to some polls, have taken a hit during recent high-profile events and incidents.<\/p>\n
And Steve worries pitting forces, with their differing budgets and access to funds, against each other would create even more of an uneven playing field.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cThe plan won\u2019t change perceptions because it\u2019s going to drive the negative narratives.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could even see occasions where a force was in the top five in the country, and then it dropped out into the top 10, and everyone would think, \u2018that force is failing, it\u2019s dropped down the league table. That\u2019s negative\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, no, it\u2019s still a top ten force; it\u2019s still doing really well. It\u2019s not what this should be about.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot have a situation where you measure public bodies like this because it creates a bad atmosphere, and it\u2019s the type of behaviour that we should be moving away from, not moving towards.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery force needs to be inspected; every force needs to be scrutinised, of course they do, but don\u2019t then turn it into a competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Yorkshire Police is grossly underfunded, so how can we be measured against a force that might have a significantly higher budget than us and we\u2019re expected to maintain their levels of performance?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not right, and it\u2019s setting forces up to fail \u2013 I\u2019m massively against the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a letter seen by The Times, Police Minister Kit Malthouse said that the measures would provide \u201cnational accountability and collective responsibility\u201d while supporting and challenging forces. He said forces would be judged on their ability to reduce homicide, serious violence, drug supply, neighbourhood violence and cybercrime. They would also be measured on victim satisfaction.<\/p>\n
National benchmarks will be based on traditional data such as recorded crime, as well as new measures including the number of police referrals into drug treatment programmes and hospital admissions for youth stabbings.<\/p>\n
In 2007, when targets were introduced by a previous Government, the Police Federation successfully pressed for them to be scrapped after it led to \u201cludicrous\u201d decisions such as arresting a child for throwing a cucumber slice.<\/p>\n