The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has recently announced statistics for complaints against police officers in England and Wales and unfortunately, for the most part, it does not make for good reading. In the year between 2010 and 2011, there was an average increase of 4% nationally and this is a matter that is of great concern to many people; not least the IPCC themselves.
In a year where the 43 police forces across England and Wales saw huge cuts to their budgets, could we have dared hope for any other direction for such complaints statistics? After all, officers are under increasing pressure nowadays to police communities as cost-effectively as they possibly can. The public’s expectations have not been lowered in line with the 20% cuts that have been generally imposed on each police force. Therefore, when evaluating this 4% statistic in these terms, surely this rise is not as bad as it could have been.
However, there are certain police forces that are bucking this trend so dramatically, it proves that even at a time where huge budgetary cuts are imposed, this is no excuse for an inferior level of service from the police. Both Avon and Somerset and Leicestershire Police have seen significant falls in the number of complaints that have been received regarding their officers. Moreover, praise has been awarded through the IPCC for the length of time it has taken to deal with complaints fully.
Avon and Somerset Police were further praised for the fact that they were able to resolve complaints against officers at a local level on far more occasions than most other police forces. In turn, meaning that less complaints would have escalated to the level of reaching the IPCC for their consideration.
Many people believe that just because a police force – or any public body for that matter – has had their budget cut so significantly, this does not mean to say that we need to batten down the hatches and prepare ourselves for a lower level of service. At the end of the day, this article is dealing with complaints that have been received through the IPCC regarding the behaviour of police officers and there would never be any excuse for such a professional to be anything other than courteous and exemplary in their duties to the public.
So, this basically means that a cut in budget should not have any impact on the behaviour of police officers in their duties whatsoever. Indeed, this is a point that was raised through Avon and Somerset Police themselves. Whilst maintaining staff moral amongst officers may pose more of a challenge at the moment, this is something that must be addressed by each and every police force in England and Wales. Where officers are not inclined to display the highest level of professionalism at all times, it really is quite simple: time to terminate their employment with the force and replace them with one of many individuals who is ready to get their teeth into a new career.
Please share your thoughts below..
No related posts.
