‘The police are the public and the public are the police’… Sir Robert Peel’s most often quoted principle is as relevant today as it was in the 19th Century and reminds us of the police services’ need to reflect the communities they serve.
This has been brought to the fore with the Government’s ‘Big Society’ agenda: an agenda which is open to interpretation and means many things to many people.
As the national lead for ‘Citizenship in Policing’, I know the ‘Big Society’ is happening all around us and has been for some time. Advances across neighbourhood policing in recent years have proven that there’s no disconnect between the police and the public. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
We currently have more than three million Neighbourhood Watch members across the country. These members support their communities by running community projects, securing funding, working with their local Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) or simply looking out for neighbours’ homes and being the eyes and ears of the community.
Special Constabulary’s contribution vital during disorder
I’m also delighted to see that Police Support Volunteer numbers have reached 9,000, and that we have more than 18,000 special constables. During recent public disorder, the Special Constabulary contribution was powerfully demonstrated when they put themselves in harm’s way, helping police forces to maintain resilience and restore order. These officers contributed over 110,000 hours which equates to GB pound 1.7 million.
Likewise, police support volunteer roles continue to support the police across the country and help us in delivering a better service to the public. Supported by our roads policing teams, Community Speed Watch volunteers have given the community the opportunity to become actively involved in road safety by using speed detection devices.
More recently, I’ve seen an increase in citizen patrol schemes. Although there have been concerns about schemes under which communities patrol their own neighbourhoods encouraging vigilantism and risk to the public, it’s not a new concept.
Faith-based citizen patrols such as Street Pastors and Street Angels have been around for years and have made a significant difference in preventing crime, helping people and keeping them safe.
If residents wish to help make their communities better and safer places in which to live, my view is the police should support them and enable them to make this happen.
Examining efficiencies, creating opportunities
Reduced budgets and austerity measures have forced the police service to look at efficiencies, but also created opportunities. In Avon and Somerset, we currently work with the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, using its trained volunteers to provide telephone support to vulnerable elderly people who call the police for non-police related matters. We currently field in the region of 10,000 calls a year from this group. The partnership will enable us to add capacity using appropriately experienced and trained volunteers.
This is just the start. How can we use other third sector groups such as the one million RSPB members to tackle rural crime? Or how can we use the British Red Cross for spontaneous crisis support?
Another innovative concept is Facewatch, a web-based crime reporting system empowering the business community. The system allows businesses to provide an evidential package and upload CCTV images within minutes of a crime occurring. Images can then be shared between businesses with the ability to reduce crime. In areas already using the system it has significantly accelerated the process of crime recording and officer time and resource.
Empowering communities and getting citizens more involved with policing does bring with it a number of challenges. I believe the police service is still very risk averse, and I regularly hear the same reasons why something cannot happen instead of what we need to do to make it happen. Health and Safety, costs, vetting – it’s all too risky! All valid concerns, but they should not be the default position.
Building on achievements to date
Looking ahead, I’m supportive of innovation and building on what has already been achieved. I would like to see more specialist Special Constabulary roles in departments like mounted, roads policing and CID to name a few.
I’m also encouraging forces across the country to embrace appropriate volunteering opportunities. I truly believe that greater involvement of communities within the policing mission will improve the service through these challenging times, and ensure that we continue to deliver policing with the public and not merely for them.
Rob Beckley is deputy chief constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the ACPO lead for ‘Citizenship in Policing’
This blog appears on the official ACPO website
Further information on Rob Beckley
Rob Beckley was appointed Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s deputy chief constable in January 2007.
He was born in the West Country and attended St Brendan’s College, Bristol before attending university in Durham and joining the Metropolitan Police Service in 1986.
Beckley previously worked as assistant chief constable (crime and operations) at Hertfordshire Constabulary, with responsibility for day-to-day operational policing and performance. Prior to this he was assistant chief constable responsible for operational support in the same force.
During his ten years with the Met, Beckley held a number of operational roles across London, including inner city roles in Brixton and Southall before becoming head of race and minority policing at New Scotland Yard.
Beckley joined Thames Valley Police in 1997 on promotion to superintendent and, in 1998, he was promoted to chief superintendent in charge of the southern half of Buckinghamshire (a post he held until March 2001 when he left to join Hertfordshire).
He currently sits on the ACPO Race and Diversity Committee and Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee. He set up and led the National Community Tension Team in its work in respect of community cohesion, public disorder and the community strand of the national prevention of terrorism strategy.
Beckley also has wide command experience. He was the police commander for the Potters Bar crash in 2002, he led the national police service response to community tensions and concerns after 7/7 and helped co-ordinate the response to the Buncefield fire in Hemel Hempstead.
Before joining the police Beckley spent almost four years in aid and development work, primarily in Africa.
