Former Scotland Yard chiefs warn public have lost confidence in police
Five former Scotland Yard chiefs band together to warn that the public have lost confidence in the police as ‘feeling of lawlessness’ pervades Britain
- The officers denounced the ’emasculation of British policing’ under Theresa May
- They said police resources have been drained to ‘dangerously low’ levels
- This has left victims with ‘perilously low expectations’, the officers argued
The public has lost confidence in the police and a ‘feeling of lawlessness’ pervades the country, five former Scotland Yard chiefs warn today.
They have banded together to denounce the ’emasculation of British policing’ under Theresa May – and have urged her successor to focus on restoring law and order.
Writing in The Times, the officers, who led the Metropolitan Police from 1993 to 2017, argued that police resources had been ‘drained to dangerously low levels’.
This left victims with ‘perilously low expectations’ of the police.
Writing in The Times, five former Scotland Yard chief officers have said police resources have been drained to ‘dangerously low’ levels, leaving victims with ‘perilously low expectations’ of the force
They wrote: ‘The reduction of police and support staff by more than 30,000, the virtual destruction of neighbourhood policing and the inadvisable undermining of lawful police powers such as stop and search, have taken their toll.’ They signed off by calling for an immediate royal commission on the state of policing.
The letter is signed by Lord Condon, Lord Stevens, Lord Blair, Sir Paul Stephenson and Lord Hogan-Howe, as well as other senior officers.
Their letter came after a scathing report warned that huge changes are needed to protect the public, with officers unable to stem a surge in violence.
‘High harm’ crimes, such as stabbings and child abuse, are on the rise at a time when forces are understaffed and inefficient, the police watchdog said in his annual review yesterday.
The officers, who led the Metropolitan Police from 1993 to 2017, denounced what they called the ’emasculation of British policing’ under Theresa May (pictured)
Sir Thomas Winsor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said parents in some areas are afraid to let their children play outside. He also criticised officers for ‘deprioritising’ fraud even though it could have ‘life-ending’ consequences for a pensioner duped out of their savings. And he urged the Government to introduce major changes. These would include compulsory standards to drive-up efficiency, an obligation for forces to work more closely together and an investment in technology.
The Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson has promised an extra 20,000 officers within three years. But Sir Thomas said public safety was ‘not just about police numbers’. He added: ‘Leaders in central government, police and crime commissioners and chief constables will all need to make bold, long-term decisions.’
Policing minister Nick Hurd said: ‘We are working with policing leaders to build a smarter, more efficient, system with crime prevention at its heart.’
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