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Met chief tells officers: Get out of canteen and on street
Justin Davenport and Danny Brierley13.02.09
The new head of Scotland Yard has ordered officers "out of the canteen" and back on the streets in a bid to get more police on the beat.
Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has called for a new culture in the Met which will see more officers on patrol than dealing with administration or sitting in the station.
In briefings to senior commanders he has criticised current practices which, for instance, mean a group of officers return to a station to process an arrest rather than using just one officer.
A police insider said: "Sir Paul wants a culture where people are out on the streets whenever they can be."
In a recent address to staff and officers he declared he wanted the Met to focus on what he called the five "Ps": professionalism, pride, presence, productivity and performance.
His new approach was underlined at a public meeting in Shepherd's Bush last night which was sparked by concerns over the death of Craig Brown, 20, who was shot in Loftus Road on Christmas Eve last year.
Kit Malthouse, the London Assembly's deputy Mayor in charge of policing, told the audience at Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road football stadium that Sir Paul had made his priorities clear.
"He wants the organisation to focus much more on their day job, on leading and directing and cutting crime," Mr Malthouse said.
"We hope over the next few months to be more visible, more assertive around control of public spaces."
Mr Malthouse's revelations highlighted Sir Paul's desire to distance himself from the previous regime under Sir Ian Blair, who was accused of focusing more on politically correct policing.
Sir Paul, now Britain's top police officer, has declared that he wants to avoid becoming a "celebrity" and has made it clear his priority is to win back the support of the public by a higher visible police presence.
He has also announced that he favours traditional uniforms and wants Met officers to smarten up and project a stronger presence walking the beat.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Hurley, commander for Hammersmith and Fulham, gave his endorsement.
"He wants a determined effort to show a visible policing on the streets. He wants the police to walk tall on the streets without arrogance," Mr Hurley said.
The meeting at QPR came amid concern among local people about mounting levels of crime and social disorder in the area, a short distance from the new Westfield shopping centre.
One resident said: "Nearly £2billion has been invested in upgrading our town centre. Drug violence, gangs and street crime should be a thing of the past."
Reader views (25)
How about stopping the absurd political correctness that stops these officers from doing their jobs properly. The last place on earth I would take a job with is with the police. Micromanaged crime prevention will not clean up our streets, it will take old fashioned policing, something the New York Police Department championed when they cleaned up their city and made it one of the safest cities in the world now.
- Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kiburn, London UK
What Sir Paul has identified what is wrong in the Met goes for the other 42 police forces in the Uk. Police forces nowadays concern themselves more with human rights issues and thinking of themsleves more as social workers, than upholders of the law. The idea that officers make arrests every day they are on duty is pure fantasy. The average arrests per officer is more likely one a week at best. The main problem is that so many police officers have been taken off the beat to staff up specialist units that deal with specific issues, some of which seem far removed from real policing. Consequently say out of a 100 officers only 2 or 3 are available (doesn`t mean they are actually out of the police station)for patroling. The lack of discipline is also another major issue. The familiarity between constables and sergeants and inspectors who want to be each others mates has gone too far. The constables rule the roost.
At the mearest hint of being pulled up about something they are only too eager to lop in a grievance. The liberal thinking academics whose careers have been fast tracked, instead of showing the wasters the door, are only too happy to take it on - aided and abetted by a similar thinking HR Dept.Unfortunately for Sir Paul he has an uphill battle to bring about change. The police service has been so micro managed by Nu Labour it no longer knows what its true purpose is. Only going right back to basics will Sir Paul get the police force he wants.
- Brian Gare, Norfolk Gorleston
Why does the MET have such a fasination with being GAY and diverse ?
- Richard, LONDON
Peter, King's Lynn: A change of government to what - Cameron's so-called Tories? Don't make me laugh!
- Archie, Thrapston, England
With the exception of Lords, MPs and wealthy party donors the law is in place for the rest of, regardless of diversity or ethnic background.
- Wills, Soton
Horah! Sounds like someone who talks sense. Get rid of this politically correct nonsense, the CPS and various other pen pushers and far more officers will gladly be 'on the streets'.
I'll think you find most of them are in the canteen writing pages of notes to cover every political correctness issue rather than eating...
- Phil, Kent, UK
quote: "Solving crime is all well and good, but let's not lose sight of the important priority of equality and diversity."
Peter Jones, could you please please elaborate, I don't quite get what you are saying.
- Robert Zimmerman, London
"his priority is to win back the support of the public"
He NEEDS the support of his staff first, something the previous boss lost a long time ago.
- Adrian, LONDON
at last, recognition of the inadequacies and lazy ineptitude of the boys in blue and their less then enthusiastic approach to the letter of the law and the spirit of such. will the prevention and detection of crime now become the motivating factor for a job on the force?
- M.O'Brien, london.uk
In the old days police officers ate their meals in police boxes! They hid their sandwishes/fish and cips etc, under their helmets!!
Lets have more police boxes situated on every high street to allow comfortable eating places, in the streets, for police officers!!
- Alan, chingford. england
I wish you well Sir Paul. I grew up outside NYC in the '70s when Ed Koch was mayor and had not visited since the mid-80s. The place reminded me of a post-apocalyptic society, didn't like it at all. Well I came back after Giuliani and saw the changes he made and it was indeed a different city and was amazed at the change it made in the attitudes of it's citizens as well.
I sincerely hope that you Londoners get your city back, best of luck to you all.
- Tedb, Houston, TX
For some years, those of us who were operational officers, questioned the need for so much paperwork following an arrest or contact with members of the public whilst patrolling the streets. Blair often spoke of cutting bureaucracy, then promptly introduced more paperwork, such as the longwinded contact sheet required to be filled out whenever an officer spoke to a member of the public in the street. This was in addition to the extra paperwork required by the CPS and Home Office statisticians, none of which actually speeded up the process that allowed officers to return to their patrols. In the end a lot of officers just became disheartened and disillusioned by the constant criticism of the public, but were unable to respond with their own feeling because of the police disciplne code. Stephenson is preaching to the already converted if his comments are aimed at uniformed officers patrolling the streets, they joined to do just that. They have been let down by 12 years of Nu-Labour PC double speak and their similarly minded, and equally incompetent, senior Commanders.
- peter, South London
Is this the advent of common sense at last prevailing after years in the wilderness with that turnip Blair.
Perhaps a change of government would also be the beginning of a similar change from the lunacy of the last eleven years
- peter, kings lynn,england
The reason why all officers go back to a station with an arrest is that the courts demand they all write statements as soon as possible... and these have to be done together (this is both fully declared and legal). Is the commish going to do something about this?
- Ritchie, london
Joe - unfortunately, all the police can (and should) do is catch criminals. We also need a drastic change in the courts, so that they get sentences that deter. And in the prison service, so that there are enough cells, and so that prison is sufficiently unlike Butlin's that criminals actually fear being imprisoned. At present, there is a criminal underclass that laughs at the police because there are no consequences for them to fear!
- Nigel, London
I hope that stopping the use of anti-terrorist legislation where it was never intended would also be high on his list. Sadly, it was through this abuse of the law that many of us realised that this person was in position.
- Dr C R Westwood, crawley uk
Lets give this man a chance to undo the damage his previous collegue left behind and change into a proper police force that stands for no nonsense anywhere and make criminals scared for once.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
Peter Jones' comment epitomises why Blair (and NuLab) failed and what is wrong with policing and society today. It is not about equality, diversity and PC nonsense but about keeping citizens safe and our streets free from crime. The non-PC fightback starts now.
- Keith Price, Luton, England
If the Met Chief needs to tell his extremely well renumerated Commanders they should focus on cutting crime, perhaps he should take a step back and ask himself if he has the right Commanders in post. Are doctors, nurses and paramedics given pep-talks and told to focus on saving peoples lives? Are bin-men told to focus on emptying bins? Are the captains of cruise liners told to focus on keeping the thing afloat, or do people take it for granted they will get on and do the job they are there to do.
- Keith, Ipswich UK
Um, isn't that their primary objective? Prevent crime, catch criminals and uphold the law.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
I can't stop laughing - the Met goes 'back to basics'.
- Steve.W, B'ham UK
Solving crime is all well and good, but let's not lose sight of the important priority of equality and diversity.
- Peter Jones, London
Some while ago I recall Simon Jenkins writing in the Evening Standard that in New York 90% of the police are on the street while in London it's 10%.
The theory in Britain appears to be that a visible police presence is ineffective in reducing crime. If it is provided it is largely for reaasurance.
As far as I can gather, the experience in New York since the huge police reforms of the earlier 1990s under Mayor Giuliani and police chief Bill Bratton refutes the presumption above.
Our London Mayor Boris Johnson was reported at the time of his election as taking advice on the New York approach from Chief Bratton.
May we hear our Mayor say something about this?
- Mike Newland, London, England
Sir Paul Stephenson is starting with the right attitude. His determination to increase visibility on the streets in a serious attempt to reduce crime and no doubt fear of crime is welcomed. I wish him success.
- Harry H, London UK
Haha that headline says it all regarding the madness of this country:" Met chief tells commanders to focus on cutting crime." What are the police supposed to be doing? A nice PR planted story that actually tells you all you need to know about the state of the capital. I'd like to say that the police have my respect, they do a tough job that is made even harder by their bosses, but ultimately, by politicians. This only goes to show what they're up against.
- Ted, london UK
