A report concluded that the Home Secretary should utilize their authority to restructure “failed” police forces and, if necessary, replace the chief of police.
Policy Exchange, a center-right research group, asserts that policing has “lost its way,” resulting in the “virtual decriminalization” of certain routine offenses.
Former detective chief inspector David Spencer, who authored the study, stated that major intervention was required.
Boris Johnson stated that making the United Kingdom safer has always been a top goal.
According to the research, the public believes that police personnel is “more concerned about being awake than with solving crimes.”
It stated that police should avoid actions that may be intended to demonstrate unity against discrimination, such as kneeling or wearing a badge.
According to the research, these actions could be regarded as “partisan political views” and “had the potential to be extremely detrimental to public confidence.”
Only 3.5% of home burglaries, 6.3% of robberies, and 4.1% of thefts were solved by the police in the previous year, according to Mr. Spencer.
He argued that law enforcement and the government should prioritize combating online criminality.
Mr. Spencer stated that less than 2% of British police officers are devoted to investigating online fraud or sexual abuse of youngsters.
“The hazards posed by online child abusers, computer hackers, and online fraudsters to individuals, the public, and society as a whole are enormous and expanding.”
He stated that the government’s plan to recruit 20,000 extra police officers in England and Wales by 2023 “will not make a significant contribution to combating the online threat” because the majority of these officers will be “uniformed police officers assigned to traditional policing.”
“British law enforcement just lacks the skills and resources to combat online criminality,” he said.
Consequently, these offenses have been essentially decriminalized.
According to the report, regulations should be modified immediately to permit police chiefs to fire officers convicted of criminality or serious misbehavior.
As a part of one of his final visits as prime minister, Mr. Johnson will meet with new frontline police officers on Wednesday.
Before his visit, Mr. Johnson stated, “Making our streets safer has always been key to my quest to equalize this country because everyone should have the security, confidence, and opportunity that comes from having a safe street and a safe house, no matter where they reside.”
He stated that the government is cracking down on “vile gangs” and imprisoning dangerous criminals for lengthier terms.
The government’s intention to hire 20,000 extra cops will give “firepower for decades” in the fight against crime, according to him.
More than 13,790 additional police officers have been hired in England and Wales, according to the government, as part of Mr. Johnson’s commitment to deploy 20,000 officers to the streets.
