ACPO comment on Policy Exchange Policing 2020 report

ACPO lead on futures Chief Constables Alex Marshall said:

“The importance of thinking ahead about the future of policing is agreed across the service. The College of Policing, ACPO, The Superintendents’ Association and the Police Federation are all working together to create a national policing vision for 2016, which will be developed and implemented with Police and Crime Commissioners. The Peelian principles remain central to the service’s vision for the future. Our aim is to reduce crime and equip frontline practitioners with the right skills and modern technology.

“Neighbourhood policing teams play a key part in crime prevention, an aspect of policing which this report emphasises. Their understanding of local issues and relationships with communities mean that they are able to target local problems, reduce crime and disorder and protect people. They are also warranted officers who have the powers to make arrests and bring criminals to justice.

“The work of neighbourhood teams is one reason why links between police and the public are strong. There has been a clear upward trend in the rating of police performance over the past nine years. In 2011/12, 75 per cent of adults surveyed had confidence in their local police and 72% felt that the police understood issues that affected their community.

“Our consensual model relies on citizen support and involvement in policing, which helps people prevent crime and disorder where they live and gives them a stake in community safety. There are a healthy number of models for citizens volunteering their time to support policing, through the special constabulary, neighbourhood watch, police support volunteers or street pastors. These are encouraging trends and the service hopes to build further on them in future.

“Going forwards, Chief Constables will work with PCCs and the College of Policing, which provides a new opportunity to take forward innovation in policing, working alongside the academic world to provide an evidence base for what works, and building on the professionalism of the British approach to policing.”

For more information please contact:

ACPO Press Office
Association of Chief Police Officers
e: press.office@acpo.pnn.police.uk