Fundamental reform needed to reverse policing crisis

Sir Michael Barber, the chair of the Strategic Review of Policing, is set to stress that ‘only fundamental reform can reverse the crisis of confidence in policing’.

He will warn that without reform, the British tradition of policing by consent is at serious risk.

Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies event, also attended by Kit Malthouse, the Minister for Crime, Policing and Probation, his assertion comes two weeks before the Police Foundation publishes the strategic review's final report, which will make 56 recommendations for the future of policing in England and Wales. They will be based upon three central themes: culture, capacity and capability. The report will be the most comprehensive review of policing for a decade and has been over two years in the making.

Sir Michael Barber will share a panel with Malthouse and Lisa Townsend, Surrey PCC. He will say to an audience of representatives from national and local police forces, criminal justice bodies, agencies and government that ’there is a clear crisis of confidence in policing in England and Wales’ which is not just the result of recent high-profile issues but is far more fundamental’.

Barber will make clear that the excellent police officers in this country are doing great work everyday to keep the public safe despite, rather than because of, the system they are operating within.

He will set out some stark statistics to illustrate why the crisis goes deep. This includes over 40 per cent of all crime now being online fraud, the vast majority of which goes undetected, never mind prosecuted. He will also note however that there have been improvements in other serious crime rates, including knife-crime, neighbourhood crime such as burglary and firearms related offences which are all down since 2019.

Sir Michael Barber will conclude by outlining how the police must move forwards if it is to emerge from the current crisis: “The thin blue line is now stretched far too thin. It is encouraging that more police are now being recruited but there is a long way to go. Too often our police are effectively a social service dealing more with mental health and family breakdown than crime fighting or crime prevention service. We need more police and they need a laser focus on the crime challenges of today.

“In the digital age, where the dark web is often the new crime frontline, it can feel like a contest between a Betamax police force and Block chain enabled criminals. As an illustration, we have a National Police Computer that is nearly 50 years old and is an emblem of the past rather than a cutting-edge tool of the present.

“Taken together with some deep-rooted issues around professional development, training and leadership, the challenges for our police are great and growing. In two weeks we will publish our report, which will make 54 recommendations for change, and I hope it will mark a fundamental turning point in the modernisation of a public service that matters deeply to us all.”

Kit Malthouse, Minister for Crime, Policing and Probation, said: “Police officers perform a unique and vital role in our society, working tirelessly day in, day out to keep our people safe from harm. It is vital that they have the powers, resources and expertise to confront the complex and evolving crime picture we are grappling with. That is exactly why we are doing recruiting more officers, investing in new technology, and boosting funding by up to £1.1 billion more than last year - to make sure they can continue cutting crime. And it’s working.

“Violence and neighbourhood crime are down, and we are making the streets safer, but I am the first to say that the fight against crime can often be a case of two steps forward and one step back. It is not a linear progression. We know that crime is changing and that the future will present new challenges to policing. I thank Sir Michael for his work and I look forward to looking at this report and the recommendations once released to make sure we take the right action to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”