NPCC response to Policing Productivity Review

National Police Chiefs' Council Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens responds to the Policing Productivity Review published today. He said: 

“This review demonstrates the huge strength and breadth of work our officers and staff undertake and we welcome the recommendations which could reduce some of the significant daily burden placed on them.

“Greater adoption of science and technology is highlighted as a key area in which we can boost efficiency, building on innovation and setting out the skills and capabilities needed in our future workforce to continue this development.

“The reforms to our operational excellence and in support of our workforce must be underpinned by stronger long term financial resilience as while the remit of policing has continued expanding, investment has remained static. Since 2010, officer numbers have increased by 2.5 per cent, while recorded crime has increased by 25 per cent and police forces are cumulatively operating at around a £3bn deficit.

“We welcome a commitment that productivity benefits will be made available to reinvest in policing, as this is greatly needed to make necessary changes which can help us out pace criminality.

“We must also focus on recruitment and the importance of our police staff members as well as our officers. We have 4,000 police staff vacancies across the board and we must do all we can to ensure policing is an exciting vocation for all, especially those who have never seen themselves in policing before.

“The productivity review can help inform our collective response to this challenge and how we spend public money effectively to achieve the greatest impact on criminality, safety and feelings of safety in our communities. We look forward to working with our partners to move forward on implementing review’s recommendations.”