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See other news storiesIndependent review of police presented
12 September 2007
Sir Ronnie Flanagan has written an interim report on the review he is conducting into policing; in it he calls for police to be given more freedom from red tape and paperwork.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the Home Secretary's senior professional advisor on policing, presented the interim report (new window) to the Home Secretary today.
The review reflects the work he's done so far, studying how police forces work across the country. The full report is due early next year.
The review examines the progress made in four areas and will ultimately make focused recommendations on:
- how to reduce bureaucracy and promote better business processes
- how to sustain and improve the excellent progress that has been made on neighbourhood policing
- how to ensure the public are at the heart of local policing priorities by improving local involvement and accountability
- how the police service can manage its resources effectively to meet the tough challenges ahead
Early recommendations
In the report, Sir Ronnie credits the willingness of police 'at every level' to embrace change.
'Of course, change we must, if the service is to keep pace with the fast moving developments within British society,' he said.
The interim report is strongly focused on addressing the continuing problem of bureaucracy in police forces, and to get a real first-hand look at just what police really wrestle with, Sir Ronnie went out on operational patrols with officers to see for himself.
This research led to his first recommendation: that police forces must work on the issue of risk aversion, and create an environment in which officers can use their own discretion and feel emboldened to make decisions on how to handle situations without fear of being punished for taking the initiative.
Let police concentrate on policing
Police often do not take actions they really should because they are afraid of missing something, or of having their work criticised, the report says.
'A more risk-averse society has led to a more risk-averse police service, which will at times over-record and under-deliver for fear of missing something or being vulnerable to criticism,' it says.
Still, Sir Ronnie praised the work police are doing on neighbourhood policing, which has had real, quantifiable results in recent years.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told BBC News that the report reflected the many positive things police forces have done in recent years to reduce crime.
She said she would be 'constantly vigilant about making sure police can concentrate on frontline policing', and are not distracted by paperwork.
'Sir Ronnie has identified several measures through which we can cut bureaucracy. Just from his proposal on case file management we could save 400,000 hours of police time - that is the equivalent of 200 officers. I accept these recommendations,' she said
Have your say
Do you have some suggestions for ways the police force could be improved? Your input is welcome, and your views will be taken into account in Sir Ronnie's final report.
Find out more on the police website. (new window)
