The Home Office minister explained that a transformation in the police service’s ways of working was well underway and welcomed the millions of pounds in savings already achieved by chief constables.
Herbert explained: “Forces shouldn’t be constrained by the way things have been done in the past. In seeking better service at reduced cost, the police should look across the range of possibilities including collaboration with other forces or public services or partnering with private sector providers and then work out what best fits their local circumstances.”
The minister went even further in helping forces deliver these savings by announcing a new national air service that will save an estimated GB pound 15 million per annum. The plan will give all forces access to helicopter support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“The service is well on its way to delivering the savings of over GB pound 2 billion which are required but, equally importantly, it has also begun the process of transformation that will ensure forces can improve services while lowering cost.”
This work is part of the coalition Government’s radical package of police reform which includes a new professional body aimed at developing skills and leadership, in turn enabling the drive to reduce bureaucracy and deliver greater levels of accountability to the public.
Together with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners and the new National Crime Agency, the Government of the Day believes this to be a “strong and coherent agenda for reform” which will free the police to fight crime at the national and local level, deliver better value for the taxpayer and give the public a stronger voice.
You can read Nick Herbert’s speech in full here
Response from the Association of Chief Police Officers
Commenting specifically on Government plans to make an order requiring the police service and police authorities to collaborate in the provision of a national air service, ACPO’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) lead chief constable Alex Marshall said: “The policing minister’s intentions to make an order requiring the police service to collaborate in the provision of air service supports the National Police Air Service’s proposals for a truly national, borderless service. The service will ensure effective coverage of urban and rural areas as well as bringing improvements in operational efficiencies and innovative contracts.”
Marshall added: “The NPAS proposal has been widely supported by chief constables and police authorities, and the project team and I will continue to work with forces and authorities to develop the national service. The priority is a strong operational service and effective coverage delivered in the most cost-effective way.”
Strength of the police service
Interestingly, the latest Home Office statistics show that there were 136,261 police officers (full-time equivalent) as of 30 September 2011 in the 43 territorial police forces of England and Wales. This represents a decline of 6,012 when compared with September 2010.
ACPO lead for workforce development, chief constable Peter Fahy, said: “In the context of a significant cut in the funding of most police forces it’s not surprising to see a fall in the numbers of officers and staff. This is a very difficult time for most police forces, with staff leaving and the challenge of managing redundancy and change programmes.”
Fahy continued: “Workforce morale is understandably affected by the pay freeze, proposed increment freeze and increase in pension contributions.”
On the positive side many forces have started recruiting again or will do so in the next financial year (although ACPO states that this will not compensate for what will still be a long term reduction in numbers).
“However,” explained Fahy, “the effectiveness of policing cannot be measured by the number of officers alone but by reductions in crime and increases in public confidence. The service is realistic about the current economic climate but will need to seek new ways of working and new approaches to reducing demand and cost as this loss of experienced staff continues.”
In conclusion, Fahy explained: “We will shortly enter the most difficult financial year for policing in living memory, but forces have the plans to cope with what will be a most challenging time.”.