Police Inefficiencies and Technological Failures Widen Resource Gap

Strategic Insights -

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner's warning to the Prime Minister about the urgent need for significant investment in policing was just the latest in a long line of pleas for more funding. Despite the ongoing financial struggles of police forces across England and Wales, inefficiencies in the structure of the service and a failure to adapt to new technology have hindered efforts to effectively address crime and improve public confidence. The number of police officers per 1,000 people has returned to pre-austerity levels, but public trust has declined, with only 42% of people saying police are doing a good job, down from 63% ten years ago.

Key Takeaways:

  • Despite a near-record headcount of 148,886 police officers last September, the number of shoplifting offences reported each year has remained high, with a proportion of shoplifting cases resulting in a suspect being charged falling to 18% from 28% in 2016.
  • The number of sexual offences recorded by police has more than doubled to 205,000 last year, while police logged nearly 1.3 million offences of fraud and computer misuse, representing one in five of all crimes.
  • A staggering 54% of people said they never see police patrols, double the figure recorded 15 years ago, while only 18% of shoplifting cases result in a suspect being charged.
  • The proportion of crimes resulting in a charge has fallen to less than one per cent for crimes classed as "theft from the person", where phones, handbags, and wallets are snatched.
  • Police officers could do a lot more if forces made the most of advances in technology, to free them from mundane jobs, such as redacting sensitive documents, typing up crime reports, and transferring information onto separate databases.
  • A productivity review led by two former chief constables identified 26 ways of freeing-up 38 million hours of police time, which would equate to 20,000 extra police officers.

Statistics:

  • 42% of people say police are doing a good job, down from 63% ten years ago.
  • The number of police officers per 1,000 people has returned to pre-austerity levels.
  • 54% of people said they never see police patrols, double the figure recorded 15 years ago.
  • 18% of shoplifting cases result in a suspect being charged.
  • 205,000 sexual offences recorded by police last year.
  • 1.3 million offences of fraud and computer misuse logged by police last year.
  • 18% of shoplifting cases result in a suspect being charged.
  • 54% of people said they never see police patrols.
  • 720,506 arrests across England and Wales in the year to the end of March 2024.
  • 5.1 arrests per police officer.
  • 142,072 police officers at the time of the arrests.
  • 38 million hours of police time freed up by a productivity review.

Sources:

  • [The Telegraph, 2024]
  • [Office for National Statistics, Crime Survey]
  • [Police Foundation, 2022]
  • [The Police Foundation, 2023]