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Westminster police ‘lack intelligence culture and have worst detection rates’
Justin Davenport and Ken Hyder8 May 2009
The policing of Scotland Yard's flagship borough of Westminster is severely criticised today by a police watchdog.
Low detection rates, poor management and a “lack of an intelligence culture” are highlighted in a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
The criticism comes as the new borough commander pledged to go out on patrol to help cut crime. Commander Simon Bray said : “I'll be spending some time out with the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, popping into stations unannounced and going on raids.”
He outlined details of a major re-structuring of the borough's policing saying: “Best practice and common standards are being adopted across Westminster and our performance is already improving.” The size and importance of Westminster means it is run by a more senior officer than in any other borough and has 2,500 police and staff — more than many regional police forces.
But the HMIC report, carried out in January, said the borough's detection rates were the lowest in their field. Inspectors said changes to the force's management structure had been badly planned and had diverted attention away from crime-fighting. It also found inconsistencies in how police units were run.
The report states: “These challenges need to be addressed through strong leadership and clarity of purpose from the commander with the full and unified support of the senior management team. Such support was not always evident during the inspection with instances of disparate approaches being adopted by superintendents. This disunity has served to further frustrate the progress of change and has lead to confusion among some staff.”
On morale, the HMIC found the lower ranks might get recognition for good work but rarely from senior officers, and there was a lack of confidence in the ability of the senior ranks to solve problems.
The Standard revealed this year claims of an “apartheid” culture among police community support officers in Belgravia. The report notes that Westminster had problems with allegations of bullying and racist behaviour directed at some PCSOs.
It says: “There is evidence that the treatment of security PCSOs could be more professional and supportive. Indeed, staff engaged on security duties often described themselves as demotivated and under-valued.”
The watchdog urged management to address “behavioural standards within the ranks”.
Westminster was also told to deal with shoplifters more professionally as its approach was inconsistent. Further criticism was aimed at the force's use of criminal intelligence, with only seven entries made on to the system per staff member per year, a record described as “indicative of the lack of an intelligence culture”.
Daniel Astaire, cabinet member for community protection at Westminster council, said: “We have had a strong partnership with Westminster borough police for a number of years which has resulted in a 27 per cent drop in crime since 2004/05.
“We are concerned by this report's findings but we are confident the new management team now in place will take significant steps to address the recent inadequacies revealed by the report.”
Reader views (20)
Many have become political police just like the Stasi because its easier to create criminals along the way then catching them! We lost it under Nu-Lying-Loony-Labour. Mugabe-Brown was just the final insult to our democracy.
- Mike, London, 11/05/2009 21:13
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Recent events in my own neighbourhood have shown that the law is designed to work IN FAVOUR of anti-social sc*mbags, and the Police briefed that any steps a law-biding citizen might take to defend themselves and/or their property are legally translated into 'criminal acts'. Put simply, Labour, with its 'yuman rites' culture has abysmally failed this country on crime prevention, detection and punishment. I am sure that given the right support from politicians, the judiciary, parliament, the House of Lords and the ACPO, our Police Officers AND, dare I say it, PCSO's would use the increase in morale to really make our streets safer. Perhaps the media could ask our senior MP's the following questions:
1. When did you last walk around your area after 10pm at night alone?
2. When did you last actually get out and talk to the ordinary constituents?
3. How much do you know about crime and antisocial behaviour in your constituency?
4. Why has Labour sacrificed community safety in favour of their 'soft on crime, soft on criminals, tough on the victims of crime' manifesto?
- Joannie, London, England, 11/05/2009 21:00
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It's not that they're geting worse, its that there hands are tied by the politicians and the left wing goodies such as liberty and ineffectual senior officers. If there wern't so many constraints place upon them then they could get on with it.
- Rosie, watford, 11/05/2009 14:22
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I have given up on the police. They are not there for us (who pay their wages) but for the Labour party, as their political arm and treat us with the same contempt that the Labour free-loaders do. They are led by placemen and the old traditions of public service have gone the way of everything that was worthwhile in this country - down the Labour 88p plughole. I think people should just deduct the amount allocated to policing from their Council tax then maybe they and their political masters would get the message.
- Judith C, London, England, 11/05/2009 11:01
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Perhaps if you gave Sir Alan Sugar the job as Westminster BCU Commander crime would drop and performance rise....But he isnt politically correct and being white and jewish certainly wouldnt get the job...
- Bryan Powell, Rugeley, 10/05/2009 21:04
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Having spent time both sides of the Atlantic, here is my take: 1. PC politics (pun only partially intended) means that rather than hire people based on their ability, they are hired to fulful quotas. As a result, cities with liberal politics are often crime ridden. Don't believe me? Go live in San Francisco, London and Oxford - and then, give New York a try. You'll find the massively cleaned up and respectable New York very different from the 1970s image. Why is this? While the mayors have been democrats, they applied a take no prisoners Three Strikes & You're Out approach - and it worked. No softy softy to empathise with crafty criminals. 2. The replacement of value based entertainment (television & print media) with a me first celeb based culture has and is creating a whole generation (worse, two generations) of dumb, poorly educated, voyeristic individuals. And if the foundations of a nation are based on such a 'way of life', said nation will begin to lack credibility and be unable to create wealth. And without that, society will crumble requiring even more policing! So, vote with your common sense on 4th June!
- Vision Aforethought, Oxford & London, 09/05/2009 17:10
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I have had many reasons to dial 999 because my flat overlooks a street with lots of pubs (and I don't have any double glazing). I decide by whether it looks like a person is at risk of serious injury / death. The police are always excellent in response to these late night high risk street brawls or acts of violence or traffic accidents. However, in my only other dealings with them I have found them to be moronic, dogmatic, offensive, unhelpful and frankly bizarre. The complete lack of Community Policing in my borough is notable by its absence by comparison to the borough on the other side of the road which gets patrolled every couple of hours and sadly the only time the police stop on my side is to buy take away food which makes them look quite literally like lazy doughnut munchers. They did once quite strangely try to coerce me into becoming an 'informant' -not on any given subject- and invited to me to the station to discuss whether I would like to be enrolled secretly to supply intelligence which scared the life out of me and was very odd indeed. Perhaps they thought I could syphon them some of my IQ or something?
- Real, London, 09/05/2009 15:19
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Judith from London.....You see a crime being committed, you're the only witness to it, you don't call police and then you wonder why the crime goes unsolved.
- Mike, Herts, 09/05/2009 11:53
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I was thinking of coming back to visit London again, but the more I read in your newspapers the more I rethink the idea. Too much crime!
- H.Best, St.Petersburg, Florida, 09/05/2009 00:22
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The day after the London bombings , I was with my son in London in Russell Square . The place was swarming with police. I asked my son if he noticed anything ; the police were all [ to a man and woman] Anglo Saxon males ; the perpetrators and victims not so. How could such a police have any intelligence ? They are a closed shop , out of touch with London.
- Chris M, morbihan,france, 08/05/2009 23:56
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London's police are now a thuggish political arm of the Labour party doing their dirty work for them. They have nothing to do with us, the general public, any more. Personally, I would never bother to call them, even if I was being murdered, as the perception (and reality) is they are not interested. I have seen, through my front window, car crime being perpetrated and have not called the police as they have better things to do. Yet, we have to pay for them on our Council Tax. There should be a mass withdrawal of that portion of it which is for police, then they might get the message that they are our servants, not Gordon Brown's.
- Judith C, London, England, 08/05/2009 21:11
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If you read through the management speak and local governmentese in this report the stark truth is that policing in Westminster has been completely subverted by the Labour Government's political correctness agenda which has been placed way above crime reduction as a priority there. This is undoubtedly as a result of the previous Met Commissioner's politicisation of policing and the resultant reality that senior officers would receive promotion according to their promotion of political correctness and not on their crime fighting skills and results.
Proper policing cannot return to London's streets until we are rid of the ghastly Labour government and the police are once again depoliticised and allowed to get on with policing instead.
- Matt, London, UK, 08/05/2009 17:11
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But fear not their undiminished efforts will be concentrated on becoming ever more PC. Perhaps with additional lessons in probity from our upstanding Home Secretary.
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset, 08/05/2009 16:45
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Ed, you are right, my father was an ex copper and ended up a uniform sergeant, a clip around the ear, was his trade mark but he was never assulted or assulted anyone in his life.
Most police officers are good men and women but there are bad apples as in life.
One thing I do not understand is the stop and search, how many of the thousands have ben arrested? and i know, not one terrorst has. Go back to the old policing days when a copper was a copper, read The Job and did his work honestly.
- Jonathan, Bern Switzerland, 08/05/2009 14:30
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Whats new about this then?
- Mike, London England, 08/05/2009 14:26
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"Westminster police lack intelligence" is the only part of the headline that's needed, the rest is irrelevant.
- Derek, London, 08/05/2009 13:52
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Its about time they selected Senior Officers who know what's best for the Community and who have the background in dealing with and being involved, prior to promotion in crime related issues , not put them in place because they have some....ology degree from a Universisty from outer Mongolia which serves no purose and neither do they, but do what they believe is politically correct to enhance their own careers...oh yes select them on the basis of their ability to do the job and not because of their race or gender...get the drift.
- Rosie, watford, 08/05/2009 13:17
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My grandfather was a policeman. I'm sure he's turning in his grave at the current lack of intelligence and common sense in Westminster and in several other London boroughs (but Westminster particularly appalling)
- Marianne, SW France/London, 08/05/2009 13:09
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Well that is a fact,but its not only the Police,most organisations in the UK could now possibly be classed as dysfunctional,the only thing that functions for most of them is there glossy brochures and glitzy web sites.
- Kev, London-UK, 08/05/2009 12:59
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This is no suprise at all.... the state of police is the direct result of major changes started or began many years ago that resulted in poor recruitment procedures even worse were (are) the methods & types selected, identified and chosen for promotion and the inane methods of relevant, sensible neccessary training.
Until these causes are recognised (admitted) and reinvented things will nto improve at all...plenty of evidence of this comment during the last ten or so years.
Although to be truly honest much of the changes were started & enforced prior to the terrible current labour government.
Ex-offciers of all ranks can illustrate and describe the inane alterations that have lead to the current declining (still) police forces.
- Ed, london, 08/05/2009 10:20
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