Blunkett unveils police reforms
A new ten-point citizens charter for the police is among reforms announced by Home Secretary David Blunkett today.
Under the charter, part of a new police white paper, citizens will be better treated as victims of or witnesses to crimes, receive a much better service when they contact police, and know who their local police officers are.
Boosting public confidence in the police is also behind proposals for a new national three-digit non-emergency telephone number – to be in place by the end of 2006 – new national minimum standards for call handling, and more information for victims and the wider community.
Mr Blunkett told the House of Commons that the Government would develop dedicated neighbourhood policing teams across the UK – backed up by a new neighbourhood policing fund.
£50 million of new money would be allocated to community support officers in the autumn and bureaucracy would be reduced.
Mr Blunkett said: “Reform is essential if our police service is to continue to cut crime and protect and empower law-abiding citizens and communities. Our policy paper sets out an ambitious and radical agenda, one that I hope will have the support of both the public and the police, and which can make a real difference to the strength and safety of our communities.”
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary David Davis dismissed the announcement as a “taxpayer funded PR exercise”.
Responding to Mr Blunkett’s announcement in the House he said the white paper was “reform of reform of reform” and police forces were already “buried in Home Office initiatives”.
“There is nothing new or radical in this paper. It is little more than a taxpayer-funded PR exercise in the run up to a General Election,” he said.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: “The Government are right to increase the links between local people and the police.
“But these measures will only work if they’re matched with a cut in the amount of paper work – and investment in modern equipment to keep the police out on the streets.”
The consultation paper also proposes a raft of other initiatives including:
– cutting bureaucracy to free up 12,000 officers to the frontline
– allowing people with the right qualifications from outside the police to join above the rank of chief constable
– establishing a National Policing Improvement Agency to embed a culture of self-improvement
– increasing the democratic legitimacy of police authority’ members and giving them a clearer role and responsibility in holding chief constables to account.
The Police Superintendents Association described the White Paper as a “missed opportunity” to establish a national police force.
The association’s president, Chief Superintendent Rick Naylor said: “We called for a national police force as a way to ensure consistent standards of service rightly expected by the public, no matter where they live.
“With this wasted opportunity, our fear is that the current lack of consistency and co-ordination in policing services will continue – there will still be a multitude of ways of doing the same thing from Newquay to Newcastle which is a waste of valuable resources.”
