The Police Debate: Time to look Forward NOT Back!

Policing in the UK is changing beyond all previous recognition and much of that change (in my opinion) isn’t good for our society. For years there has been far too much political interference in the policing process and now it’s set to get even worse (see here).

The service has also been subjected to any amount of self-interested and/or lack lustre leadership and wrongly, the public have consistently been deceived by the lies and half-truths of politicians and police governance…

Masses of political rhetoric, public relations hype and manipulated statistics have provided the public with a distorted view of reality, mostly for self-interested reasons.  Media sensationalism and (unfortunately) I have to say, the attitude of many cops when dealing with the public hasn’t helped the situation. The raison d’être of some police officers, mostly reflective of traits prevalent within our society, is often worrying.

In short the British police service is actually being hoisted by its own petard. In addition we now see large rafts of largely unaccountable privatisation (see here) in a service that has also become a little too insular.

Policing has never been changing as fast and as much as it is today… While public demands for better policing continue to rise and the government pushes through a major police reform programme, the police find themselves striving to deal with new threats posed by terrorism and transnational organised crime while working within tighter budgets imposed by the recession…(www.police-foundation.org.uk)

You will note that I (unlike many today) use the term ‘service’ despite having joined it during the era when it was usually refered to as a ‘force’. Strange how the nomenclature is also at odds with reality? When policing was actually delivering ‘service’ we called it a ‘force’ where as now, it often does little more than apply ‘force’ in confrontational situations and we choose to call it a ‘service’ and it’s actually getting worse.

To my mind; any police ‘force’ must be in place to ‘serve’ the community it is responsible for policing but unfortunately, the divide between service and confrontation is getting even more prevalent (see here).

This week the debate about British policing continues at a pace, mainly thanks to the Police Federation Annual Conference (see here) but for how long? Next week after all the stage-managed and theatrical dust has settled we’ll be back to political rhetoric about policing from both sides of Westminster, all interspersed with the pieces of sensational investigative journalistic tripe. All in continuance of the mostly unintended consequence that is; undermining public confidence in policing.

Although the general change in tac from the Federation over recent years, from the individual to a more organisational based ethos is to be commended, I can’t help thinking it may be too little too late?

Vested interests from all sides of the divide will remain evident. But unequivocally, I have to agree with The Police Debating Directive blog, as the author points out - “Without healthy, informed debate we [the police] will never be the organisation that we and the public can be proud of.”

But, as with any debate, it’s far too easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. The current debate must be about the concept of British policing as a whole, not just ’my job and my pay packet’ however; as much has revolved around this later area of late, it isn’t hard to understand the apparent waning support for the police officer’s cause.

Because of all the self-interest displayed by various groups in the debate, it’s also not hard to understand why looking for any effective change is like wading through treacle. The change that we seek (IF change is actually required) must however be solely to the benefit of our society as a whole, it has to be far less insular.

The Police Debating Directive: The Boys are Back in Town: I’ve been watching closely, the last few weeks, seeing how the police fight back against the proposed reforms develops… We are seen as the street-level face of the power, heartless agents of government; because we have been put there. We are often the only contact people have with authority and as such we are easy to hate, hard to love; the urge to fight us is overwhelming and it shows on many fronts…(More)

But it’s often far too easy to get entangled in the here and now, a prime example locally has been Maxwellgate… This week Grahame Maxwell, ex Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police has left the force. He may have proverbially shuffled off with his tail between his legs but to many, the sickening last episode of this messy debacle is the fat wallet in his back pocket, that and the smug grin on his face…

As most in the area (and probably nationally) also know, Maxwell narrowly avoided dismissal last year after a charge of Gross Misconduct. He was subsequently given a final written warning at a secret disciplinary hearing. Now, to add insult to injury for his staff and the public of the county, he leaves his £133,000-a-year post with a handsome severance payout to the value of c£250K (see here).

Maxwell’s five-year tenure at North Yorkshire police was never without controversy however, the problems generated for the force by his leadership was nothing new and his predecessor also created difficulty for officers and declining public support. Many will remember how Chief constable Della Cannings was unrepentant about accusations of excessive spending and her £28,000 shower (see here).

But what of the legacy for policing in the aftermath of the politics, the media, rude and/or incompetent (sometimes but rarely) dishonest officers and the lack lustre leadership within North Yorkshire Police?

This week Tim Madgwick has taken over at the helm of North Yorkshire Police, following the retirement of Grahame Maxwell after five years in the job.

The temporary Chief Constable of North Yorkshire has said the force must move forward after the controversy surrounding his predecessor…(bbc.co.uk)

Commenting recently on Facebook about the above news I said; “Out with the old and in with the new – at least this ‘new brush’ was actually ‘built’ in North Yorkshire… Congratulations to Tim who is probably more likely than many to actually have ‘his’ force at heart. The public (and their officers) will find the proof of the pudding in the eating as they say!”

I for one am looking to the Police Federation nationally, the temporary new Chief Constable locally and indeed police officers as a group, to ethically and holistically drive forward the debate about the wider picture of British policing for our future. It’s possible but rest assured I won’t be holding my breath for too long!

Related articles

• The changing face of British policing? (bankbabble.wordpress.com)
• British Policing: Getting Shafted but officers still carry on! (bankbabble.wordpress.com)
• Hot irons don’t always mean it’s time to strike! (bankbabble.wordpress.com)
• Questions continue as top policeman departs (yorkshirepost.co.uk)
• Theresa May is ‘destroying police service’ , say officers (independent.co.uk)

The changing face of British policing?

As many police officers will know, this week sees the annual conference of the Police Federation of England and Wales (May 15th - 17th). This year, probably more so than any in living memory, the tried and tested British policing model faces unprecedented attacks from several quarters.

Despite the much hailed public confidence in policing being in the ascendant, based upon survey figures probably manipulated like crime statistics, our bobbies are actually under a sustained attack.

In addition to the day-to-day condemnation from their customers, an expected normality from those who have their criminal activities impeded, police officers are also subjected to the sensationalism, and often inaccurate reporting methods of much of our media. In addition we now see the Government joining this criminal assault on British Policing.

Like many I am worried about what the future will look like for policing in the UK. Not from personal interest - I'm now retired - and not even specifically for friends still serving. I'm concerned for our society, our communities and the service they will receive from their police. All the changes currently taking place, and in the pipeline, are creating a two tier policing model.

A service where unsworn, unwarranted and largely unaccountable staff deliver little more than a uniformed community watch system. Where as police officers, they are being reduced to carrying out only enforcement activities in confrontational situations. A paramilitary looking and largely politically deployed Sûreté Nationale type of organisation. Is this realy the type of police service we want?

The Police Federation are rightly concerned about the impact of current changes to British policing on their membership however; they are also trying to protect your service for your future and the future of your children. Unlike many politicians (and the media) we should all look at the wider picture, try to understand the policing process and indeed the wider criminal justice system.

The home secretary is “on the precipice of destroying” a police service admired throughout the world, she will be warned by rank-and-file officers…(bbc.co.uk)

The vast majority of police officers joined the job to serve and protect the public, unlike many politicians (and senior officers) whose methodology is often born out of self-serving and protecting their own self-importance and career prospects.

Theresa May‘s reforms, some of the most radical changes in more than 30 years, will fundamentally change the dynamics of policing, the Police Federation said…(independent.co.uk)

 It's time for the public, the media and ultimately politicians to listen to and act upon the observations and advice of the 'rank & file' in British policing - Before it is too bloody late! 

Related articles

• Crime rates could rise as police cuts bite, warns Acpo chief (guardian.co.uk)
• Police chief: Budget cuts will lead to more crime (telegraph.co.uk)
• Our bobbies need to start marching to a different beat (telegraph.co.uk)
• Theresa May is ‘destroying police service’ , say officers (independent.co.uk)
• Theresa May ‘on precipice of destroying police service’ (guardian.co.uk)
• Theresa May ‘destroying police’ (bbc.co.uk)
• May’s police reforms to ‘fundamentally change service’ (itv.com)