WIREDGOV

Policing has made real efforts to improve, but more fundamental reform needs to be made to secure far-reaching improvements, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary has said.

Get the report : State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2024–25

In his third annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Sir Andy Cooke has said now is the moment to make sure the Government’s Safer Streets mission and other policing reforms are properly funded, otherwise they risk falling short. They are vital to building the public’s trust and making our communities safer. The previous Home Secretary should be recognised for her determination in taking forward reform and her support of policing over many years.

There has been a renewed focus on neighbourhood policing to help forces be more visible and responsive to community concerns. While further work is needed in this area, pledges such as the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are welcomed and helping forces to strengthen their approach.

New structures proposed by the then Home Secretary in November 2024, including a National Centre of Policing, should also help improve police procurement and access to technology and equipment. By centralising many support functions that forces rely on, such as IT, it could improve consistency between forces and potentially lead to efficiency savings.

In previous ‘State of Policing’ reports, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke QPM DL raised his concerns over the decline in public confidence in the police service. This year, he has said it is promising that the evidence shows that this appears to be levelling out, but policing must continue to make concerted efforts before public confidence starts to improve.

Sir Andy also mentioned ongoing challenges facing forces that he has previously highlighted in recent years, and which still need to be addressed, including:

• modern policing continues to depend on the effective use of data and technology, yet many forces are relying on outdated systems and struggling with poor data management. Police forces haven’t kept pace with rapid advancements in technology, which if embraced, will bring opportunities to operate more efficiently and effectively;
• the absence of multi-year funding and capital grants for forces remains a major barrier to making some of the long-term planning and investments that the police need, such as buildings, equipment and technology. Police forces must embrace innovation to meet the policing challenges of the future;
• the way funding for police forces is raised and distributed needs to change because it continues to be unfair and outdated. The police allocation formula, which is used to distribute central government grants, has remained unchanged since 2013; and

• high levels of inexperience across the workforce, and officers and staff continuing to feel undervalued and experience low morale.

Sir Andy also stressed the importance of good leadership and management. All police forces should be well led and managed to make sure they are efficient and effective. Key to this is making sure leaders are visible, set clear expectations, provide support and hold people to account.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke said:

“At the end of last year, the then Home Secretary set out her plans for major reforms in policing and her intention to increase trust and confidence in the police. These reforms are welcome and required, and I pay tribute to her personal commitment to driving forward police reform.

“And it is clear across policing, that there is ambition for change to improve efficiency and effectiveness of policing. Chief constables are working towards the Safer Streets mission with a collaborative approach and vigour.

“However, the reforms require substantial upfront investment, and sustained commitment to succeed. They must be sufficiently funded. Without enough money, there is a risk that the ambitions of the Government and police service will fall short, and the much-needed reforms to policing either won’t happen or won’t succeed.

“Police funding has increased, yet many forces remain under strain due to rising demand and a variety of cost pressures.  As I have set out in previous reports, the way the funding is distributed still needs to change because it is outdated and unfair. And the absence of a capital grant for forces remains a major barrier to making some of the long-term investments that the police need. In such a comprehensive and ambitious programme of reform, not reforming police funding would be a missed opportunity.

“For example, forces would benefit from some financial certainty, such as through a multi-year funding settlement that sets out how much forces can expect to receive.

“Change is needed now for policing to improve the service it provides to the public and how it deals with the evolving challenges it faces. There is a great deal to do to build the public’s trust and make our communities safer. As the police service needs time and opportunity to make the necessary changes, I have chosen not to make any recommendations in my ‘State of Policing’ report this year.”

Get the report : State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2024–25

Notes

• For further information, the HMICFRS Press Office can be contacted at 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.