Boris Johnson’s £1bn pledge to put 20,000 more bobbies on the beat under fire from top policing watchdog
BORIS JOHNSON’S £1billion pledge to put 20,000 more bobbies on the beat has come under fire from the country’s top policing watchdog.
Sir Tom Winsor said that although some extra officers were needed, the Tory leadership frontrunner’s “simple” plan to massively boost frontline numbers may not be the “most effective” as forces must also spend on better technology to solve modern crimes.
The Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s comments came as he unveiled a damning report into the “defective” criminal justice system, where victims and children are let down and crooks are trapped in a cycle of punishment and re-offending.
Asked about Tory leadership frontrunner’s flagship law and order policy – to reverse a decade of manpower cuts within three years – Sir Tom replied: “It’s certainly simple but it may not be the most effective way of spending on policing.”
He went on: “Police don’t just need a lot more people. Undoubtedly they do need more people.
“They need to be recruited, trained, supervised and led in the most effective and efficient way.
“You have to invest to be more efficient and that will cost more money. Not all of that money should be spent on hiring people.
“Some of that money should be spent on technology.”
He told how he had been “startled to discover” on a visit to Cleveland Police that not all frontline officers on duty had body-worn cameras as the force could not afford the £300,000 cost.
Some officers still had to make notes with pen and paper then were “queuing up” to “take turns” to type them up at the end of their shifts – as there were not enough laptops to go around.
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In his annual State of Policing report, Sir Tom also raised the dangers to young people of sex abuse, fraud and radicalisation online, warning: “Most children are now more at risk in their own bedrooms than they are on the streets.”
He called on the Government to consider jail sentences as well as fines for tech company bosses who fail to clean up their sites, saying: “Being faced with losing both their fortunes and their liberty concentrates their minds on their responsibilities like nothing else.”
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