Blog Archives

More #Police Amalgamations Imminent?

For some time now there have been numerous debates surrounding police force amalgamation. It’s a subject which has actually been rumbling on for decades now. Previous visitors here will know that I’m broadly in favour of the principle (see here) but what of the recent supportive and not so favourable comments on the issue…

After the creation of Police Scotland on the 1st of April I asked; is this the way forward for the remainder of the UK (see here). I’m glad to see that finally, we’re now starting to see some chinks in the mostly self-interested parochial armour of the police ‘old boys (and girls) club’ that is the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

A chief constable in Wales has said she supports the idea of merging the four Welsh police forces into one…(policeoracle.com)

Gwent Police Chief Constable Carmel Napier recently gave her backing to “the idea in principle” of a single police force for Wales (see here). Great for Wales, but having been on the receiving end of some of Ms Napier’s leadership and opinion before, I have to say I’m also a little sceptical of her motives here. Is there any real conviction in what she said or, could it just be simple rhetoric? Another one of those opportunist but cleverly executed pieces of public relations hype, the type of stuff which senior police officers (and politicians) are extremely adept at producing.

That said and whatever her motive for the public announcement, it doesn’t really matter if there is/isn’t any personal agenda. The support from any ACPO rank for reducing their numbers is a big step for any of them, “turkeys don’t vote for Christmas” after all. So it has to be a step in the right direction for British policing however; there are still many who remain unconvinced about the advantages.

Police and Crime Commissioner and former policing minister says attempts to further unify police forces should be avoided…(policeoracle.com)

Former MP Alun Michael (now South Wales PCC) maintained that the decision to nationalise policing in Scotland was a “major error of judgement” – as a large force tended to become “a complex beast” to run. Perhaps, but isn’t that due to the politics and micro-management tendencies involved in policing that lead to his conclusion? That and a desire to protect his own self-importance as a PCC? A comment to the original policeoracle.com article summed up many opinions about Michael’s views.

When a member of the Home Affairs select committee he was telling forces that they should be working together to make the most of the resources. Now that his job as PCC is threatened it is suddenly better to have a small force. Still can’t be too hard on him, he is a politician try to understand policing and this is too much to ask…(Ridgeback)

I make no bones about it, I’m no real fan of the PCC system in policing however; I also can’t see why a PCC would stick his nose into this issue, other than for personal reasons. Another comment to the article also questions the validity (and honesty) of his opinion.

This is the same Alun Michael who falsely claimed £19,169-56p in expenses and was ordered to pay it all back, hardly a fit person to be a PCC…(Maverick22)

The “complex beast” that Michael refers to is only such because of individuals like him, they creat and fuel the environment in which senior police officers are almost obliged to react to, if only so they can be seen to be doing something, even when actually doing nothing is the realistic requirement.

As Simon Guilfoyle (acclaimed ‘systems’ thinker and Police Inspector) succinctly put it in his recent “Panic” blog; “we see more knee-jerking than a row of Can-Can dancers.”

Until we finally remove the causation factors of knee-jerk reaction, along with the rafts of self-important micro-management in the system, British policing will always be that “complex beast” that Alun Michael refers to. I and many others with numerous years of policing experience know; it really doesn’t have to be that way and the public actually deserve better!

In answer to the original question – more police amalgamations imminent – I would sadly have to say, probably not. There may have been some ‘glacial’ movement in the right direction but it’s still insignificant. We are moving towards something I see as inevitable in the future however; these proposals are unlikely to gain any significant impetus until it becomes ’flavour of the month’ on the Spin & Hype Menu of PCCS, politicians and ACPO officers.

Police Scotland: The way forward for British Policing? (bankbabble.wordpress.com)
Gwent chief backs police merger (bbc.co.uk)
Wales News: Alun Michael opposes all-Wales force: South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner hits out at national force idea (walesonline.co.uk)

Posted in Government, Local Authorities, Our Society, Police, Politics, Public Sector

#Policing – Hard times ahead but still got my fingers crossed

Mar 23

Posted by Dave Hasney

At a point when British policing actually needs to display a united front, probably now more than ever before, elements of the police in England and Wales are (unwittingly) placing their heads on the government’s chopping block of cuts and so-called public sector reform…

Immediately after the Chancellor’s recent budget delivery, many within policing breathed a sigh of relief, no more cuts to policing, thankfully. There was still going to be a cap on public sector pay rises of 1%, extended for a further year to 2015-16. In addition, a think-tank (and we all have an opinion about them) suggested that; “any further spending cuts by government departments have in effect been put off until 2015-16” (perhaps not coincidentally until after the next election).

…austerity will tighten from 2015-16 as public sector worker National Insurance contributions rise sharply…(Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies)

The usual budget bitter pill was sweetened slightly by small concessions such as, the cancellation of a fuel duty increase and the reduction in tax on beer however; it appears that any light relief and additional breathing space, which most of us were thankful for, was even more short-lived than many of us had (naively) expected.

The Armed Forces and the police will face further spending cuts because the Coalition will not sanction any more reductions to welfare payments, senior Treasury minister Danny Alexander has warned…(telegraph.co.uk)

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) quickly responded to the Daily Telegraph interview with Dany Alexander by saying;

There are clear indications of a disagreement within government on where further spending cuts should fall. The first duty of government is the protection of its citizens, and as we approach a spending review which will impact on the next election, the use of policing as a political football is outrageous. Any further cuts to policing budgets will inevitably lead to less protection for our communities despite our officers’ best efforts. There is only so much we can do…(Steve White, Vice-Chair PFEW)

With all the austerity turmoil set to be in place for some time yet, the recent decision by the Constables Central Committee (CCC) of the PFEW is, in my opinion, a little short-sighted to say the least. Despite understanding the angst of many Constables across England and Wales, now is not the time for any fractures within police staff associations.

In deciding to suspend funding to the PFEW joint fund, in relation to their views on the decision about an internal independent review of PFEW, the CCC may be making a stand and adding substance to their voice of concern however; their stand is probably a dangerous one. It is also a move which actually plays into the hands of the government’s ‘divide and conquer’ methodology!

Things ain’t going to get any easier any time soon… We all need to address not only the negative impacts upon our jobs but also, the bigger picture of how those impacts are (potentially) damaging our society as a whole. Any fragmentation of what is mostly (arguably) a united and strong voice will actually prove to be counter-productive in the long-term. Now is really not the time for internal wranglings or overt militancy and posturing, simply to make a point.

As Syreeta Lund, Editor of POLICE, the monthly magazine of the PFEW pointed out recently; these are undoubtedly Uncomfortable Times not just for policing but also, many other areas of the public sector and our wider society.

For the first time in my lifetime I have seen the proliferation of food banks – people who are in such poverty that they are turning up for boxes of groceries because they cannot afford to feed themselves and their families. The economic climate is bleak…(Syreeta Lund)

With all the economic and organisational crap that is currently taking place; is fragmentation of any group that seeks to challenge our government about (arguably) misguided policy, really a viable or sensible solution? It simply allows that government to proceed unchecked, often to the benefit of the few at the expense of the majority.

As the provision and management of policing services becomes increasingly difficult and is subjected to even greater scrutiny and financial constraint, thankfully some of the federated ranks arch-enemies are becoming a lot less insular and self-serving in their approach to many of the issues involved. Various members of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Police Superintendent’s Association of England & Wales (PSAEW) are now thankfully, all be it belatedly, starting to look at the bigger policing picture.

Ch Supt Irene Curtis, President Elect of the PSAEW, recently gave an interview to the Federation’s Police Magazine. She spoke about the need for changes to police ‘culture’ and also called for changes to the predominant and damaging ’bean-counting’ management that currently exists within policing. I have followed Irene Curtis for some time now on Twitter (@barrackslass), much of what she has to say makes a refreshing change and (in my opinion) tends to bode well for the future management of policing.

Now that some of the senior ranks are finally starting to see that our police service isn’t simply a conduit for their personal career aspirations and jobs, perhaps there is a greater understanding of how professional and effective policing underpins and the quality of life we all hope to enjoy within our society. We deserve to receive the best possible police service, we all pay handsomely enough to hold that expectation!

London cops slam ‘ignored’ votes on right to strike (morningstaronline.co.uk)
Thousands of police vote to strike but not enough to take industrial action (dailymail.co.uk)
Police ‘right to strike’ vote fails (bbc.co.uk)
British Policing: The Engineer of It’s Own Demise? (bankbabble.wordpress.com)

Posted in Government, Media Watch, Police, Politics

Armed Police: The ‘Us and Them’ argument?

Sep 20

Posted by Dave Hasney

Ironically, as National Police Memorial Day approaches, the country is once again reminded of the dedication to duty and courage displayed by our police officers. Although this annual event is organised to remember police officers who have been killed on duty, many of those outside of policing have no real comprehension of how dangerous it can be to be a police officer…

As the residents of Ashworth Lane in Mottram woke on Tuesday (18th Sep), their day of expected normality, and that of those employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), was shattered by the killing of two of their police officers, see Timeline of Events in Manchester Shootings (source BBC). Very quickly afterwards the media fuelled debate about the arming of British police officers hit the news stands at a pace.

But why don’t the British police carry guns: The BBC tried to answer this question after the deaths of the two female GMP constables, an event that once again brought into focus the unarmed status of most British police officers.

Despite the death of every officer (or anyone for that matter) being a sad event, which we should always be doing all we can to prevent, how big is this issue in reality? One violent death is one death too many however; is routinely arming all our police officers just another one of those simplistic knee-jerk reactions?

Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, has ruled out arming officers after the killing of two women constables. (BBC News)

Police Officer Shootings - The Facts – Source Police Roll of Honour

256 police officers have been shot and killed in the UK since 1945 and 21 have been stabbed to death.
In England 51 were shot and 19 stabbed
In Wales – none, in Scotland – four shot and two stabbed, in Northern Ireland – 201 shot

One thing was once clear - When asked, the vast majority of police officers used to say overwhelmingly that they wanted to remain unarmed.

A 2006 survey of 47,328 Police Federation members found 82% did not want officers to be routinely armed on duty, despite almost half saying their lives had been “in serious jeopardy” during the previous three years…(Source BBC)

It is a position shared by the Police Superintendents’ Association and the Association of Chief Police Officers but the British public are not nearly so unanimous. An ICM poll in April 2004 found 47% supported arming all police, compared with 48% against. During my service as a police officer I have been armed as part of my work that said, I would also be guarded against more widespread and routine arming of our police.

When you start examining many of the comments and observations, resulting from this week’s event, it (worryingly) appears many officers are now changing their opinion? Any further divide of police and public is in many ways, a step too far.

The BBC News Magazine article - Why British police don’t have guns - gave a fairly rounded analysis of all the facts and issues involved here.

Much of the post event comment, especially from those outside the ‘police family’ is no more than political rhetoric, or worse, contrived and false concern. Words that are delivered to placate public opinion about the failings of our government and to an extent, the failings of our society as a whole. But words are inadequate, all be they born out of sadness, anger and/or revenge.

Sadly, many of us don’t want to understand any of the issues, or worse, we choose to ignore them because they have no real impact upon us as individuals but in reality they do. A violent assault on a police officer, or worse, is actually yet another attack on our society and it’s framework.

Mark Easton, home affairs editor at the BBC touched on the most important issue here when he wrote – The police are the public and vice versa. His article highlighted a cornerstone of British policing methods, one that used to make it work.

“The Police are only those members of the public paid full-time to do duties incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.” ( Robert Peel)

These foundations are seen by some as archaic however; the decades of political interference, not to mention the almost constant media condemnation of policing have now taken their toll. As policing continues crumbling to dust, and much of the ‘historic’ framework of a solid effective process has been chipped away, is it any wonder that the whole bloody structure is destined for collapse?

British policing is (wrongly) described by many as the ‘last unreformed public service’ (see here) – but these people are wrong and our communities are suffering from what these critics have created. We’re harvesting the produce of seeds sown by the media, our politicians and, to an extent, many senior police officers, people who should have known better.

These factors, along with decades of ‘reform’ and political interference, have been responsible for creating the unsavory system we see now. The prominent Us & Them ethos and culture now so prevalent both in modern-day policing and our society, is responsible for driving a wedge between the two.

It is not an us and them! The duty to do right lies not just with the police but the public. It is the public and police doing right, against the tiny minority who break the law. That principle needs re-establishing. (comment to BBC article)

Without a substantial and expedient change in direction, I for one fear there will be even more violent assaults on police officers, and possibly deaths. But we can and must do more. We have to heal the gaping wound that is the separation of society and policing. It is this divide that is killing our communities, and responsible for the killings within it.

At York Minster on Sunday 30th September 2012, there will be a strong demonstration to relatives, friends and colleagues of fallen officers that their sacrifice is valued and will not be forgotten. Although the event will predominantly be attended by individuals from within policing (and other emergency services), we have to hope that events such as this serve to galvanise public desire to change our social direction

Importantly, we must not allow these violent murders to be any greater waste of life than they already are. PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, like other police officers, must be thanked and valued for their commitment and efforts into trying to make our society a better place – R.I.P. and thanks!