Two contradictory things can be true at the same time. It is true that the findings of the independent Police Leadership Commission, which I co-chaired, are devastating in relation to the recruitment, training and development, promotion, monitoring and appraisal of the police service. Yet there is excellent policing taking place on our streets and protecting our businesses every day of the week.
In other words, there are men and women doing their duty “without fear or favour” – as Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, put it at the beginning of June. Meanwhile, the systems they work under and the processes they have to deal with are totally inadequate.
The recommendations of the commission – which also comprised my co-chair, the former Conservative policing minister and chair of the College of Policing Nick Herbert, and a range of very experienced men and women inside and outside the service – are very clear that we can put right what is wrong.
A third of police forces across England and Wales are judged by the inspectorate as “inadequate” or “requiring improvement” when it comes to leadership. Far too many at the top of the service are under investigation for wrongdoing or inappropriate behaviour.
In all areas of public or private life, the quality of leadership inevitably has a direct impact on outcome and delivery. It affects motivation and morale, and sets the tone, and therefore the ethical environment, in which people are working. The ability of the police to fulfil the public’s expectation of fighting crime is hampered by resource scarcity, excessive paperwork and processes, and a promotional system that is in need of overhaul.
Lack of transparency, and failure to develop a promotion monitoring-and-appraisal process, has resulted in appointments which reflect time served or “playing the game”, rather than an assessment of competency and suitability for the post.
To remedy this, we emphasise the importance of proper review and evaluation of the performance of those in the service – whether warranted officers or staff – from the very beginning of their time with the police.
We propose introducing a digital passport to monitor the training and development they receive, the qualifications they build up and, crucially, the competency they display throughout their career.
Everyone should have annual personal development reviews, including chief constables – of whom, remarkably, a very large number have no such external check. Furthermore, officers must continually jump through hoops for promotion – this system needs to be completely streamlined.
Three-quarters of those working in the police service are at constable rank, and the average time for promotion to sergeant is 13 years. We recommend creating a senior constable rank. This would allow experienced staff to act as tutors or mentors, and to “act up” – where operational requirements demand it – to sergeant, but with the necessary support and training.
Gone must be the “boss’s favourite” syndrome which we found. Throughout an enormous consultation period over nine months, the word “nepotism” kept reoccurring when it came to promotion and treatment, and therefore the ethics and culture within the service.
In our 27 recommendations, we include the extension and development of ethics committees to include external expertise in every force. These will offer advice and transparency on issues ranging from discrimination to how new forensic and technological innovations can be used in a way that does not infringe upon civil liberties.
Changing police culture
As a former home secretary, I have to say I learnt more about the police in the nine months of this inquiry than I knew in the nearly four years I was in the job 25 years ago.
Obviously, things have changed and knowledge of how policing operates is much greater. For instance, in my time there were no bodycams. Nobody recorded on a day-to-day, hour-by-hour basis what the police did, what they said and how they carried out their job.
Today’s greater transparency is very welcome, but it brings with it enormous challenges for everyday policing. And it requires us to have procedures for officers’ behaviour, as well as processes to hold them to account.
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Police in England and Wales are under immense pressure to rebuild trust in a time of polarisation. Consistent leadership at a high standard is key to ensuring their focus remains on the core job of preventing crime and protecting the public, not responding inappropriately to external culture change and ephemeral issues.
Make no mistake. Those who join the service do so, on the whole, because of a sense of duty, and because they’re attracted to the kind of work which could take them into different areas of life.
Many new entrants want to be detectives. Not surprising, but also interesting in terms of the gender and racial makeup – which is much more diverse in this area than in other routes – and the need to ensure they have the necessary skills to do that job really well.
While the UK government is in transition, it is not possible for them to respond immediately to all the recommendations. But it is very welcome that the policing minister, Sarah Jones, called the proposals “ambitious” and “a compelling case for change”.
Our work on this detailed and bulky report has now come to an end. But the real work starts now in giving the public, and those who work in policing, the service they deserve.
Source:
theconversation.com