HOME OFFICE News
Release (Stat02/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 7
February 2008
Standardised one
page form to be introduced
Stop and Account forms to be scrapped
Streamlining Stop and Search forms
The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, today accepted recommendations
to cut unnecessary bureaucracy, exploit new technology and enable
police officers to spend more time on front line policing.
Responding to Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Review of Policing, the
Home Secretary said:
"We are determined to cut unnecessary red tape and free up
police officers to focus on protecting their communities and
dealing with the issues that matter most to communities.
"I'm very grateful to Sir Ronnie Flanagan for his
report which outlines how we can improve policing, giving officers
more time on the front line and freeing up resources. It's
absolutely right that we have an evidenced based approach to
reform and ensure that any changes are proportionate and retain
accountability for the public.
"There's a lot we have already done which is making a
difference: the latest Police Performance Assessments show that
police office time on front-line duties increased again last year
(2006/07), for the third successive year. But there is more that
we need to do.
"I have formally asked Sir Ronnie to report back to me in
six months on how we and the police are reducing bureaucracy. For
our part, in addition to the measures outlined to day, the
Government will be publishing a Green Paper in the spring to
further improve policing for the future."
The Home Secretary announced:
* Scrapping the lengthy form used to record Stop and Account. The
police will instead use Airwave police radio technology to record
any encounter, and a simple card will be given to those stopped to
enable them to call for further information. This will be
initially piloted in three force areas.
* Streamlining the form used to record Stop and Search. This
will build on work to shorten the form already underway by the
Metropolitan Police Authority, in co-operation with community representatives.
* Piloting the use of hand held devices to enable officers to
input information directly, cutting the average time taken to
record stop and search information from 25 to 6 minutes.
* Introducing a new standard one page form to record crime. This
form is currently being trialled in Staffordshire and other
forces, and the Home Office will ensure it can be introduced
nationally as soon as possible.
* Extending police powers to tackle gun and knife crime by
enabling police officers to stop and search in designated areas
where an act of serious violence has taken place, as well as in
anticipation of serious violence.
* A project to streamline IT systems to make them more
compatible. The Home Office, Association of Chief Police Officers
and the Association of Police Authorities have commissioned the
National Policing Improving Agency to review the police's IT
strategy and report in May.
The Home Office is already making progress in response to Sir
Ronnie's interim report from September:
* From April, new Public Service Agreements and targets will
provide greater flexibility for police to focus on what matters
locally and to streamline the process that gets suspected
criminals to court.
* We are consulting on reforms on the workings of the Police and
Criminal Evidence Act that will reduce police bureaucracy and will
allow experienced officers to focus on their core roles by making
better use of police staff.
* A range of improvements to the way the police work with the
courts and the wider criminal justice system are being piloted.
This includes virtual courts - where initial results show cuts in
the average time between charge and first hearing for bail cases
from 91/2 days to less than 31/2 hours - and new streamlined
processes to reduce police and administrative time in preparing
prosecution files.
* We are investing in new technology to make crime fighting more
effective and to save officers' time. This includes video
identity parades, livescan electronic fingerprinting, body-worn
cameras, and the £50m capital fund that will deliver 10,000 mobile
data devices by September.
ENDS