Two new reports released yesterday showing a rise in recorded crime and a continuing fall in police numbers are of serious concern, says Jim Mallen, chairman of Bedfordshire Police Federation.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed an eight per cent increase in recorded crime for the year ending 31 March 2016 and also 5.8 million fraud and computer misuse crimes, the first time so-called cyber crimes have been included in the reported figures.
Meanwhile Workforce Data statistics showed that 3,000 police officers were lost in the last year, and also point to a rise in sickness level with an 11.5 per cent increase in the number of officers on long-term sick leave.
“These two reports should ring alarm bells,” says Jim, “The Police Federation has in the past been accused of scaremongering but how can anyone concerned about public safety not be concerned about these figures?
“We have been saying for many years now that the nature of crime was changing; we knew there had been a massive increase in cyber-crime, for example, and this report confirms that.
“But there has also been an increase in demand for our services partly due to these new and emerging crimes but also because of the increased threat of terrorism and the inevitability of the police being called into help when other public sector organisations and charities are making their own cuts due to the austerity measures.
“While we are concerned for the communities we serve we are also worried about the effect this increased demand is having on our already stretched police officers. We are seeing increased levels of sickness and a rise in stress-related illness and mental health issues and this cannot be allowed to continue.”
Jim’s views are in line with those of the national Police Federation chairman, Steve White, who said: “At a time when safety and security of the public is at the top of the political agenda, it is time to refocus priorities and invest further in the police. Our members want to deliver the best service they can, but they need the right support in place to do this.
“The Government, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Police and Crime Commissioners must now work with the service, including the Police Federation of England and Wales, to continue to ensure it has sufficient staff and sufficient resources to keep the British public safe.
“This is the time we, as a country, should be investing in the police service. With threats against them, the public will rightly expect police resourcing to be increasing, not decreasing, potentially leaving us all more vulnerable to attack.”
Headline figures in the ONS report showed:
- 15.2 per cent of adults aged 16 and over were a victim of at least one crime in the year
- A 27 per cent increase in recorded violence against the person
- 571 homicides – 10 per million – up 34 on the previous year
- A 21 per cent increase in recorded sexual offences
- A 10 per cent increase in recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments
- A four per cent increase in recorded crimes involving firearms.
The workforce report revealed:
- 200,922 workers were employed by the 43 police forces, a decrease of 6,807 or 3.3 per cent compared with a year earlier.
- The number of police officers fell by 3,126 (2.5 per cent) to 124,066 compared with the year to March 2015
- The officer wastage rate (the proportion of officers leaving the police, excluding transfers) in 2015/16 was 5.5 per cent
- The number of officers in front-line roles has fallen, from 110,853 in the year to March 2015 to 106,411 in the year to March 2016
- The number of officers in local policing roles fell by six per cent
- 5.9 per cent of all officers were Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) as at 31 March 2016, a higher proportion than any of the previous 10 years
- 12.1 per cent of joiners were BME, compared with 4.4 per cent of leavers
- 28.6 per cent of all officers were female, again the highest proportion in the last 10 years
- Both BME and female officers were more commonly found at constable rank than higher ranks
- As at 31 March 2016, there were 2,429 police officers on long-term sick leave. This was an increase of 11.5 per cent compared with the previous year, and accounted for around two per cent of all police officers in England and Wales.
- At the same time, there were 3,715 police officers on recuperative duties, and 4,933 on adjusted/restricted duties in England and Wales. This accounted for 3.2 per cent and 4.1 per cent of officers respectively.
