UK Home Office should reform ‘failing police’: Think tank

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON, UK (AA) - The UK’s Home Office has been advised to reform the country’s police and to refocus its resources on solving serious crimes.

In a highly critical report published by the Policy Exchange think tank, Home Secretary Priti Patel was recommended to replace the chief constable and enact an overhaul of existing policing policies to bring back law and order.

“British policing has lost its way. If the next government is to have any right to a claim to be the ‘party of law and order’ by the next general election, the next Prime Minister and Home Secretary must make a series of significant interventions,” the report said.

David Spencer, former chief detective and author of the report, set out a series of recommendations he argues would reform British policing and allow serious crimes to be effectively tackled.

These recommendations include ensuring that police units have the basic rights to focus on fighting crime, appointing a group of leaders who are fit to lead future police forces and tackling increased threats from technology as well as using technology to combat cyber threats.

“The Home Secretary should use their powers in legislation to provide direction to police and crime commissioners in those forces that have been placed into ‘special measures’. Where appropriate this may include the replacement of the chief constable and other senior officers,” the report said.

“The Home Office should review the amount of police officer time spent dealing with persons with mental illness which does not relate to preventing, responding to, or investigating crime and disorder; and consider potential solutions which would enable officers to get this balance right,” it added.

The report also called for an urgent amendment to regulations that would allow police chiefs to dismiss officers accused of criminality and serious misconduct.

According to Spencer, UK police forces are too distracted by being politically correct and are neglecting their duty in combatting serious threats to the public such as public disorder, knife crime, sexual assault and online harassment.

The former chief detective called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ensure that his successor prioritizes law and order as well as tackle cyber threats and online crime.