“With 3.7 million crimes committed last year it is inevitable that the police will have to prioritise where and how they focus their resources.
Firstly, considerable savings could be made by partnering with the private sector. Lincolnshire Police and a private sector firm is one example of a public-private partnership performing effectively. In the first year the force managed to save £5m – the equivalent of 125 police officers – by taking a new approach to call handling and incident management, and by streamlining Lincolnshire’s police custody suites.
Secondly, police forces can use technology to be increasingly smart in tackling crime. Using predictive crime modelling, Kent Police is now able to identify potential crime hotspots and concentrate officers in those areas. Initial reports show street violence has fallen by 6% as a direct result. Moving all cases onto a digital platform will also enable officers to cut down on form filling, maximising efficiency and visibility.
Finally, the police can no longer afford to pick up the slack so much where other agencies fail. Cheshire Constabulary found that 40% of calls on police time were caused by the failure of another agency to act. Pilot work to address failings in areas like mental health, such as street triage schemes, are being rolled out in many police force areas. These partnership approaches need to be extended to other areas and agencies that impact upon police time.”