MP says we need to release more officers for frontline work
Today in the House of Commons during Home Office questions, John Baron MP urged The Rt. Hon. Nick Herbert MP, Minister of State for Police and Criminal Justice to reduce police paperwork. He cited a recent report which confirmed that police officers spend too much time behind their desks completing paperwork.
John asked:
“Given that a recent report confirms that, under the previous Government, only 11% of police officers were visible and available to the public at any one time, may I urge the Minister to continue to hack down the swathes of bureaucratic paperwork that swamp our police and so release more officers for frontline work.”
The Minister responded that he would do just that.
John said afterwards:
“An integral part of a tougher law and order policy must include getting more police officers on the streets. Reducing unnecessary paperwork must be a key objective. The professionalism of our police officers can then be better used to cut crime and antisocial behaviour.”
Ends
Word Count: 184
Date: 6th February 2012
Notes to Editors
The HMIC report, entitled “Valuing the Police in an Age of Austerity” can be found here:- http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/valuing-the-police-policing-in-an-age-of-austerity-20100720.pdf
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