Licence proposal for police officers
The independent Strategic Review of Policing in England & Wales has recommended that, to restore and boost confidence in policing, all police officers should work under a licence that would be renewed every five years and be subject to strict conditions.
The report, carried out by the thinktank The Police Foundation, contains 56 recommendations urging radical reform to police culture, skills and training, and organisational structure. To pass the licence an officer would be required to demonstrate professional development through achieving relevant qualifications, passing a formal interview and presenting a portfolio of activities and achievements.
Any officer who failed the 5-year licence assessment could receive further support including mentoring but successive failures would see their licence removed and they would no longer be able to work.
The report also suggests improved training and support for sergeants and inspectors so that they are equipped to provide stronger supervision, tackle poor conduct and call out bad behaviour among officers.
Among other recommendations are the creation of a new Crime Prevention Agency and the merger of back-office functions across the 43 forces of England and Wales, which Barber argues would save hundreds of millions of pounds. Investment in frontline policing is also on the list, as is training and technology to modernise the service from top to bottom.
The report comes at a time when confidence in policing is at a low ebb due to a series of scandals, predominantly within the Metropolitan Police. These include the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and the Charing Cross station incident where officers shared racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic messages on WhatsApp.
The report was chaired by Michael Barber who was a former adviser to ex-PM Tony Blair and is an expert on implementing large-scale systems change. Referring to a crisis of confidence in policing which is corroding public trust he said: “The reasons are deep-rooted and complex – some cultural and others systemic. However, taken together, unless there is urgent change, they will end up destroying the principle of policing by consent that has been at the heart of British policing for decades.
“Policing in this country is at a crossroads and it cannot stand still while the world changes so quickly around it. Now is the moment to move forward quickly on the path of reform. The warning signs if we do nothing are flashing red and we ignore them at our peril”.