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Civilians in charge of custody to release bobbies for the beat
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard06.01.09
HUNDREDS of police officers are to be put back on the beat under plans to put civilians in charge of holding prisoners.
Nine hundred custody officers and nurses are to be recruited and trained to replace police.
Under Operation Herald, outlined by Boris Johnson's Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse,to the London Assembly today, 550 officers currently dealing with prisoners will be re-deployed to vacant posts.
The money saved will be used to pay for the new civilian staff over the next three years. They will fill in custody records - a process currently carried out by sergeants.
Nurses will be employed to reduce the risk of suicide and help prevent injuries to prisoners and officers.
About 1,500 serving officers retire each year. Releasing 550 already qualified police will save money on training recruits.
The figures were revealed as Mr Malthouse and acting Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin were quizzed by the Assembly on the forthcoming budget for the Metropolitan Police Authority. The Mayor has ordered it to make £472 million of savings.
Mr Godwin said several backroom functions such as human resources could be merged with other agencies to cut costs but admitted nine per cent of the savings must come from frontline policing.
He also intends to increase the number of unpaid special constables from 2,600, a figure which has already grown from 600 in 1999. Mr Malthouse denied there would be a cut in overall police numbers under Mr Johnson's mayoralty.
He said: "There will be the same number of officers but they will be better. We will squeeze every bit of value out of the pound. I think the debate about the number of actual officers is a stale debate."
It was also revealed that the Met was looking at a better way to calculate frontline activity rather than concentrate on police numbers.
Mr Godwin said: "I'm sure people would rather know what resources are actually being deployed rather than the headline figures, which include individuals on long-term sick leave or on disciplinary measures which can be 800 of 900 at a time."
According to Home Office figures London police already spend 65 per cent of their time on frontline duties including making arrests and taking statements - a figure which is higher than any other large city force.
Meanwhile, no legal action will be taken as a result of an investigation into a car hire firm based at the home of Britain's counter-terrorism chief.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick faced potentially embarrassing questions over the nature of the business, run by his wife Judith. Council officials launched an inquiry after it emerged it was offering chauffeur-driven outings as well as a wedding car service.
If this was the case the owners would be required to obtain a private hire vehicle and operator's licence. Its drivers would also need to be licensed.
Richard Woodward, director of community services at Tandridge district council, said the firm had stopped offering non-wedding services. Mr Quick sparked a row after blasting a newspaper article about the business.
Reader views (10)
Sorry..but doesn't 1930's Germany spring to mind?
- Gwaddilove, london,ENGLAND
This is a sensible move. the only person in a custody suite that needs Police powers is the Custody Sergeant. He/She is responsible for authorising detention and supervising the operation of custody suites, ultimately taking responsibility for everything that happens therein. All other staff need not be (expensive) police officers, as is the case in prisons.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
At least they aint gonna be promising something and not delivering like Stalin's mate Livigstone. he once aid I will put 600 hundred police back on the beat, what did we get a load of Compo's ( Comminity POlice) They are not real police and we all know it. BUt Stalin's mate Livingstone actually boasted about it. NO wonder he aint mayor ny more. And I dont want Stalin's mateback.
- Adynamo, scunthorpe
Tinkering that is all we get, the police throughout the UK are not organized or trained properly. They have degenerated into an inefficient service. I do not know how chief officers are selected - on acceptability perhaps - because it is obvious that capability is not the criterion. I am sure the police feel aggrieved that more of the public do not show support. Well, we see more spin, lies and senior officers more concerned with their own advancement than serving the public. I would start planning now for a replacement police service and in maybe five years disband the whole of the system as it stands. 8 regional forces and a new London service.
Close 30 plus HQs
Central Purchasing of materiel
Central Training
There would of course be objections on the grounds of local accountability. I don't believe that exists now, in any meaningful way. Time for radical changes.
- Wills, Soton
Oh, so the problem of police numbers can be solved simply by using the army of willing volunteers can it? What an excellent idea! Oh hang on, if they are having to turn away specials left right and centre why are they always advertising on the tv?
Kit Malthouse can only pledge to increase the number of specials by one i.e. if he does it himself
- James, London
Great. Just what we need: more "Special Constables" (self-important unqualified bully boys) to boss innocent people around. I went to school with horrible people like them. They need therapy not power.
- Thomas, London, UK
As with all of Boris' plans the devil is in the detail. Saving £470m without impacting on frontline services, meanwhile fulfilling his pledge to tackle knife crime, will be a tall order. Ever get the feeling you're being conned?
- Steve, London
What a con. After being found that 'his wifes' firm was in breach of the regulations Richard Woodward, director of community services at Tandridge district council, now says the firm has stopped offering non-wedding services. Does this mean that he was running the business without a proper licence and in breach of the regulations?. Next time an illegal mini cab driver is caught I suggest you use Fat Bobs defence. Tell them it's your wifes business and inform the Council you wont do it again. See how far that gets you!!.
- Pip, Banstead, Surrey
"Civilians"? What is this "civilians"?
Aren't police officers themselves supposed to be civilians? If not, at what point were they reclassified as part of the military?
It is (or was) supposed to be a fundamental priniciple of policing that "the police are the public and the public are the police" (from Robert Peel's 6 Principles of Policing).
The fact that the Police now regard themselves as agents of the State keeping us hoi polloi in our place, rather that people "who are employed full time to do what is is incumbent on us all to do" (again Robrt Peel - quoted loosely and from memory) indicated just how far we have drifted into a poice state under ZanuLab.
- Johnse18, London
Why does it take the government so long to come up with a plan like this, when officers having beeen advocating this for years.There are plenty of retired officers who could fill this role.
- Rosie, UK(Caymans)
