Chocolate coins indicate policing priorities

11 March 2010

  
Over the past month, the Police Federation have exhibited at each of the four Welsh political party conferences. By using a game involving ‘chocolate coins’ visiting delegates have been challenged to identify policing priorities. The results are startling…...

Against a backdrop of cuts in public finances and in the lead-up to a general election, the Police Federation have been gauging politician’s ‘top policing priorities’.

From a choice of ‘seven bags of gold coins’ (pictured), individually labelled with subject headings covering: ‘999 Response’, ‘Local Police Stations’, ‘Counter Terrorism’, ‘Police Training & Equipment’, ‘Admin Support’, ‘PCSOs’ and Police Officer Numbers’, the results have identified where political priorities lay and, in some cases, reflected a gulf of understanding on police issues.

Steve Williams (Inspectors Joint Central Committee) said, “All told, 154 delegates attended our stand and played this novel – but important  - game.  From the seven priorities identified, we asked visitors to choose their top four, and place them into a police cap. Delegates were, overall, practically unanimous in support of ‘999 Response’, ‘Police Officer Numbers’, ‘Equipment & Training’ and ‘Counter Terrorism’.  When pressed for a fifth choice, delegates were split between ‘Admin Support’, ‘PCSO’s’ and ‘Local police stations’.  All delegates - bar two - agreed that taxation should be increased to fund policing services.  That particular issue was identified by hiding a bag of gold chocolate coins (labelled Taxation) beneath a police helmet”.

The exhibition attraction was simply designed to both stimulate debate and instil a deeper understanding of policing issues. Steve Williams said, “All too often, political decisions are taken that affect the welfare and efficiency of frontline police officers and their ability to carry out functions that we are sworn, and duty bound, to publicly deliver on a 24/7  basis.  Although by no means scientific, the game we played out on the stand challenged delegates to think through where their priorities actually lay.  Our visitors ranged from Ministers and Shadow Ministers, MP’s, AM’s to constituency representatives, parliamentary candidates, union members, students, party policy makers, conference staff and even some of the media ‘had a go’; we are most grateful for their support”. Steve Williams continued, “What it did show, however, was that 90% believed that the top four priorities that required sustained funding were, in order of preference, ‘999 Response’, ‘Police Officer Numbers’, appropriate and effective ‘Equipment and Training’ and support for ‘Counter Terrorism’. Invariably, when pressed, ‘Admin Support’ was the fifth selected whereas ‘Local Police Stations’ and/or ‘PCSOs’ were either the last selected or not selected at all as a priority”.

Delegates were advised that ‘Admin Support’ within the police service rarely meant civilian staff completing police officers’ paper work and that many were employed as statisticians, researchers and analysts. Police Officers are still required to complete their own paperwork including advising on statistics for further preparation.  Some delegates were visibly shocked that civilians with no police experience, were now actually employed as ‘civilian investigators’ and engaged in ‘detective work’, working on serious cases.  Most recognised that the funding for the UK’s 16,000 PCSO’s may cease in April 2011 but, they preferred to have fully-sworn police officers employed instead of PCSO’s.

Click here to download in PDF format