PSAEW: Sir Ronnie Flanagan Report
In response to the publication of Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Review, Chief Superintendent Ian Johnston, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales, said:
‘The Association welcomes the report and supports the majority of the recommendations.
‘We agree that the Service must move away from the current centrally driven target culture to a more local delivery of policing with greater public involvement. We accept that police performance should be measured but the current performance measures have proved counter-productive and I believe have resulted in the public having less respect and trust in the Police Service. The proposed changes to the way we record crimes and measure performance are long overdue.
‘Some commentators may take the opportunity to criticise the Service as a result of some of the issues raised in the report but I believe we should acknowledge where changes need to be made and areas where we can improve.
‘The report draws attention to the tensions that exist in delivering Neighbourhood Policing; addressing matters of serious crime and providing a 24/7 response to the public. I believe that the Police Service can do anything but it cannot do everything .The question of how we deliver each of these aspects of Policing needs further debate.
‘We particularly welcome the recommendations relating to cutting bureaucracy for ALL officers. The changes to the Stop and Account procedures, in particular, will make a significant difference to frontline officers.
‘The report refers in detail to the Risk Aversion culture within the Service. I believe that until there is an acceptance, by all, that officers will make honest mistakes, the Service will have difficulties moving away from the current “just in case” approach.
‘I have genuine fears that the report will be used as a political football and will not acknowledge the huge improvements that have been made by the Service in the last ten years. Overall crime is down at a time when the number of additional demands placed on the Service is unprecedented. Policing is far too important to be used as a political football and our Association feels that the report points the way forward for policing in England and Wales.
‘We would encourage the Government to implement the recommendations and I am sure the Police Service will, once again, respond positively to create an improved Service for the communities we serve.’
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