Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chair of Police Federation questioned on future of policing
The Home Affairs Committee continues its inquiry into policing priorities when it takes evidence from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke.
Meeting details
In practice, modern policing encompasses a broad range of responsibilities. In 2018, it was reported that just over a third of incidents police responded to were related to crime or anti-social behaviour. Two-thirds were non crime-related, including dealing with missing persons or responding to car accidents. There are ongoing concerns that police forces are required to cope with the consequences of reductions in other public services, particularly in responding to incidents relating to mental health.
In his report on the State of Policing 2021, Mr Cooke’s predecessor as Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Thomas Winsor, asked “given that the police cannot meet all future demand […] what does the public want the police to do less of?”.
There are also broader questions about what approach policing should take to crime given limited resourcing and emerging trends in crime, such as the growth of online fraud, and, in particular, how to balance detection and prevention of crime most effectively.
The session will examine how police forces are adapting to meet future challenges and identifying where potential gaps are. It will also look at recruitment, vetting, training and supervision of officers, as well as wider measures to improve police force culture and secure the trust of the communities it serves.