Not a happy one
Sir: As a police officer, a graduate with ten years' service, I found your leading article (`Swords into truncheons', 23 June) all too accurate over the service's failure to pro- vide suitable, senior leadership.
The need for an 'officer class' has obscured the need for an improvement in ordinary, daily policing. Nor will such a 'class' do much to alter the attitudes of the police officer, or civilian, who provides that daily service.
There are four internal factors that adversely affect the provision of what both police and public want. Instead of pressure outside the police station creating stress, there is more inside the station — manage- ment, bureaucracy, court and legal re- quirements.
Secondly, there is more incentive to do less, not more. Indeed to do more is often penalised rather than rewarded. Public calls for help are 'batted', or much reduced in impact by action not taken.
Thirdly, the internal command system is dedicated to creating an acceptable image, not responding to reality. This is best illustrated by management use of crime figures, notably the detection rate which is massaged and blatantly corrupted by 'write-off' (crimes admitted by persons in jail).
Finally, man-management is generally poor. All too frequently ability, or need for experience, takes a low place to 'fitting the mould' and membership of certain sports or social groups.
Only external pressure will change the police service. Alas too many of the reforms this Government has pursued have serious flaws — for example underfunding the Crown Prosecution Service.
Perhaps you should canvass the views of policemen and policewomen before pre- senting a panacea for our service's prob- lems. You rightly criticise the Police Fed- eration for its attitudes; thankfully its chairman, Alan Eastwood, is quite unlike a trade unionist.
David Page
9 Regal Croft, Birmingham
Previous page
