Government Policing Review comment

Following the announcement today by the Prime Minister that his government will conduct a review of policing, Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:
 
“If the aim of this review is to work with the police service to develop a shared vision, it doesn’t bode well that as the organisation representing 140,000 police officers throughout England and Wales, we heard about it through the media this morning. 
 
“We have been calling for an independent review of policing for the last seven years and no-one has been listening. We’ve had five years of piecemeal reform of different parts of policing; none of which have brought any clarity. To announce yet another review will just add to the confusion that already exists. If the government had listened to our call for a Royal Commission it would have been implemented by now; instead the service has been left in disarray without clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
 
 “For this review to have the confidence of the public and the police it must be truly independent without any political spin. This review must not be short-hand for policing on the cheap; the public deserve value for money.  Police officers are frustrated by constantly changing political initiatives which distance them from the public they serve. Broken promises to reduce bureaucracy, indecent focus on the  quantity of detections rather than the quality of service, poor IT structures and the loss of officers’ discretion to act independently has fundamentally damaged the trust between the public and the police and the police and the government.
 
 “Any review must examine all policing structures and processes recognising the needs of the community alongside the demands and restrictions placed on the lives of police officers both on and off duty.
 
 “Police Officers have a wealth of practical policing knowledge, experience and expertise and are integral to making any changes work. The Police Federation is keen to play its part ensuring this review delivers a police service fit for the 21st Century”