However, senior officers believe it would be a return to Whitehall setting “targets”, which were derided by the Conservatives when the last Labour government used them. Ministers want to bring down rates of homicide, serious violent crime and a whole host of other offences across England and Wales. Some senior officers fear it could damage crime fighting and lead to police prioritising some of the wrong issues as they try to meet the headline-grabbing target before the next election. Other police chiefs believe if the government thinks the plans through properly, they may intensify the focus on reducing crime. The public won’t accept them and neither should we.”Patel said a national policing board and a new crime and policing performance board would set outcomes on cutting serious crime and other offences.

Source: The Guardian January 11, 2021 06:00 UTC