Northgate calls for Big Debate on policing

A radical service revolution is required if UK policing is to meet the economic, political and social challenges of today, according to a wide-ranging response to the Home Office's policing consultation Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people.

In its submission, Northgate Public Services argues that while the consultation has gone some way, government needs to do more to build public trust.

In spite of the excellent developments in neighbourhood policing, too many targets and too much bureaucracy have left police forces hampered by processes and red tape. If public trust - so essential for preventing crime - is to be rebuilt, those involved in supporting its delivery have to work together to innovate, to improve performance and to deliver public value, the response says.

The response argues that the fiscal pressures on policing require a revolution which not only delivers better, but better for less. There is an opportunity for a radical overhaul of the processes which have tied up the police service for too long. Strong national direction is needed to ensure that collaboration between forces increases at the right speed to get the right results at the right time

Northgate suggests that in rebalancing the relationship governing policing, there must be clear roles and that the 'golden thread' of British policing - from the national and international to the very local - must be renewed and strengthened. As a first step, it calls for a Big Debate on the role of policing to involve, educate and engage the public.

The response argues that if the proposed Police and Crime Commissioners are to be successful, such a debate is necessary in the context of reduced resources. It also recommends that the Commissioners' remit be widened to:

Promote understanding of crime and policing in local communities

Support improvement and innovation in delivering police services to the public and to identify and support best practice

Promote collaboration between forces

Northgate also calls on the government to consider the use of justice reinvestment -where budgets are devolved locally - to shift resources away from the costs of penal custody to a greater focus on community safety and crime prevention, more aligned to local needs.

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Public Safety for Northgate Public Services, added: "The service delivery revolution in policing will require a systematic analysis of the processes, people and cost involved in delivering policing and criminal justice. We have to recognise, and get the public to realise that it is not just the criminal justice system that must work to combat crime. Preventing and reducing crime requires a collaborative and multi-agency approach that includes the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, the community and individuals themselves. Only by working together will we ensure that better services are delivered for less."