The Home Secretary has unveiled a new unit for ‘overseeing police performance’ as part of ‘major reforms’ of policing in Wales and England.

 

Yvette Cooper, speaking to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association for Police and Crime Commissioners at their annual conference today (Tuesday 19 November), said the new unit would build on the existing work of police leaders as well as the College of Policing, policing inspectorate (His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services).

 

“This is a critical juncture for the future of policing. And if, as a country, we are to remain equipped to fight the fast-changing challenges of today and tomorrow, then we know policing must evolve,” she declared.

 

But Phil Walker, chair of South Wales Police Federation, is questioning whether yet another layer of scrutiny over police officers is the most appropriate use of funding.

 

 

He countered: “There is already extensive oversight of the service from the HMICFRS, the PCC (Police and Crime Commissioner) and IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct). If money is available for another layer of monitoring, I question whether this would be better spent on improving police pay and working conditions so that we can hang on to our experienced officers who are leaving.”

 

He pointed to a BBC investigation this month which showed there were 37,786 physical assaults on the police in 2023 – an average of 103 every day – and an 11 per cent rise from 33,864 in 2021.

 

Phil added: “These are the practical realities that our members are facing, together with concerns about putting food on the table and paying the bills due to the rising cost of living in Wales and elsewhere.

“All the scrutiny in the world is for nothing if we don’t have the officers in the first place. The focus should be on retention and supporting police officers to do their jobs, as this will have a greater impact on performance than introducing more police bureaucracy.”

 

Ms Cooper said the dedicated Home Office unit will monitor police performance in high-priority areas such as tackling violence against women and girls, knife crime and improving neighbourhood policing. Officer time spent on the frontline will also be monitored, and response times will be standardised and measured.

 

The Government’s ‘Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee’ would ensure officers spend more time being “visible and accessible” in communities rather than stuck behind desks tackling administrative tasks, the Home Secretary claimed.

 

She told police leaders: “We have a huge opportunity to reset the relationship between government and the police, to regain the trust and support of the people we all serve and to reinvigorate the best of British policing.

 

“Strong and consistent performance is critical to commanding public confidence. I truly believe that working together, we can mobilise behind this mission – and deliver a fairer, safer country for all.”