Police forces face an enormous challenge to manage the impact of the Government’s cuts while at the same time maintaining normal levels of policing services.
Investigations would always be managed by police officers, but ACPO feels there are others who can contribute and take up functions which help protect the public and bring offenders to justice.
ACPO lead for workforce development, chief constable Peter Fahy, commented: “Police forces face an enormous challenge, particularly when you look at the cuts in the financial year 2013-2014 and beyond. It’s clear that only radical and fundamental change will allow forces to cope with this and maintain protection of the public.”
Politicians and the public have made it clear that they will not allow forces to merge and so economies of scale and efficiencies have to be sought elsewhere.
“The office of constable and the discretion and independence of the police officer is a fundamental safeguard for the public, but does not mean that others cannot take up functions which help protect the public and bring offenders to justice,” continued Fahy.
“There are already private security staff patrolling areas of public space and managing major public events licensed by local authorities. Private staff monitor CCTV covering public spaces, private companies transport prisoners to and from court and store detectives detain shoplifters.”
Fahy went on to state: “Chief constables cannot ignore the financial crisis and the degree of change which is required. Police forces across the country will be watching this tendering process closely to examine where the limits of the involvement of other bodies in policing should lie, and this will be overseen by police authorities and newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners.”
He stressed: “Chief officers need to ensure that highly-trained and professional police officers are spending their time on activities which require their skills, expertise and values. While there are a number of tasks in a criminal investigation, such as gathering CCTV evidence or checking phone records, which do not necessarily need to be done by a police officer, the investigation itself would always be overseen by a police officer in much the same way as a doctor oversees treatment of a patient although other healthcare professionals carry out particular tasks.”
Reaction from the Police Federation of England and Wales
Responding to news that there are plans for mass privatisation of policing, Simon Reed – the vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales – explained: “For many months now the Police Federation has warned that this Government’s plan for policing has been the destruction of the finest police service in the world in order to open doors for private business. By imposing a budget cut of 20% on policing they ensured that chief officers faced a dilemma as to how best to balance the books if they wish to maintain the current level of service the public receives.”
By way of warning, Reed continued: “However, this is an extremely dangerous road to take. The priority of private companies within policing will be profit and not people, and we must not forget they are answerable to their shareholders and not to to the public we serve.”
As far as Reed is concerned, the Government’s plan suggests that core policing roles such as police patrols and the power to detain, thus depriving people of their liberty, will be undertaken by private business employees.
“This would have catastrophic consequences for the high level of service the public rightly expect and currently receive,” he outlined. “Not to mention issues of continuity, policing expertise, accountability and the risk that they could jeopardise the chance of successful investigations and convictions.”
In conclusion, Reed stated: “This is not a solution. Chief officers must no longer bury their heads in the sand. They should instead stand up for what is right for the public and protect the police service from any further dismantling by this Government.”
MPs’ talk of increased public-private sector partnerships welcomed by private security firms
The Police and Public Services (PPS) Section of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed comments by senior politicians that a greater role for the private sector in delivering public services is “straightforward and obvious”.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Think Tank Reform, Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin cited a greater need for financial efficiency as a key driver for greater public-private partnerships.
The MP said: “We need, desperately, much more urgently than we would have done if we had more money, to find means of opening up the public service, creating competition and choice.”
Letwin’s department published a White Paper on public service reforms only last year which set out five key principles, including the suggestion that public services should be opened to new providers in voluntary, public and private sectors.
Echoing Letwin’s comments, Home Secretary Theresa May – speaking at the same conference – added that it was vital to harness the innovation of the private sector to help the police force, and that the public “wouldn’t care” if back office functions in the police were carried out by private contractors rather than civil servants.
Meeting in Parliament
Last November, the BSIA organised a roundtable meeting in Parliament to discuss this very issue, raising awareness among key politicians from across the political spectrum and generating lively debate about the benefits and perceived drawbacks of increased partnership working between the police and the private security industry.
Robbie Calder, chairman of the BSIA’s Police and Public Services Section, commented: “At present, our police officers perform far too many tasks that don’t necessarily require the presence of a warranted officer – for example, managing cordons, area searches and taking witness statements. The introduction of a new era of regulation, including company registration, will hopefully serve to increase police confidence in working alongside our industry.”
Calder added: “The BSIA’s Police and Public Services Section welcomes these more recent comments as they echo some of the sentiments expressed at our meeting in Parliament last year. It;s encouraging to see that these views are shared by senior politicians.”
He concluded: “This year, with the introduction of elected Police and Crime Commissioners and the economic implications of partnership working, there has never been a better opportunity to make a positive change and explore this issue further. The private security industry, led by the BSIA, will take a strong stance to continue this debate and improve awareness of the industry’s integrity, professionalism and capability to deliver this essential service.”