Vandals and thugs 'a low priority': Police watchdog warns some crimes are being ignored or not investigated for weeks

The warning comes as some police forces are accused of indulging in stunts
The report found many police forces are reducing demands placed by public
That means low-priority and less urgent incidents can be left unresolved
Report reinforced concerns that victims are losing confidence in police forces

By Ian Drury Home Affairs Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 01:15 GMT, 9 November 2017 | Updated: 01:29 GMT, 9 November 2017

e-mail

137

View
comments

Police are not responding to some crimes including violence, assaults and criminal damage, a watchdog has warned.

So-called ‘low priority’ incidents are being shunned completely by officers or not investigated for weeks, said HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

A damning report reinforced concerns that victims are losing confidence in police forces which increasingly treating offences such as street attacks and car crime as minor matters.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary's campaign Let's Nail It! saw officers wearing nail varnish on patrol

Inspectors published the dossier just weeks after some forces were accused of indulging in bizarre stunts including painting their nails, instead of focusing on crime.

The report said police had worked to reduce the demand placed on them by the public, which included calls to 999 and the non-emergency 101 numbers.

It said: ‘In reducing demand, it is important that forces do not simply suppress it, by which we mean fail to identify, acknowledge or deal with certain kinds of demand.

‘HMIC is beginning to see examples of forces taking action to prioritise their demand in such a way that low-priority and less urgent incidents can be left unresolved for long periods.’

Police were told their increasingly bizarre gimmicks, such as posing in bear masks, are undermining the job of tackling crime

HM Inspector Mike Cunningham added: ‘In some places when a call for service is assessed as low priority, not only might it wait for a long time, but sometimes they might go unresourced completely. Nothing is done at all.

‘I know there will be examples across the country of when there has been a call for service that has not been responded to or attended to.’

The response to some incidents of crime has come under scrutiny recently.

Last month OCT a senior Scotland Yard officer suggested it was ‘not practical’ for officers to spend considerable amounts of time investigating offences such as shoplifting and criminal damage.

And the Mail told how police were arresting half as many suspects as they did a decade ago despite a surge in crime.

The number held fell from 1.5million in 2007-08 to 780,000 this year - down 48 per cent – official figures revealed.

For the first time, HMIC concluded that policing was under ‘significant stress’ as it published an assessment of forces’ efficiency.

HM Inspector of constabulary Mike Cunningham warned that not only might it wait for a long time, but sometimes crimes might go unresourced completely

Some police control rooms were struggling to meet demand, particularly in relation to 101 non-emergency calls.

The number of 999 calls received by forces was up by 10 per cent in 2016-17 compared to the year before.

Police are forecasting they will make £900million in savings over the next five years.

The report comes at a sensitive time in the debate over police resources, which has been played out in public over recent weeks as ministers prepare to unveil the latest cash settlement for forces.

A string of senior figures have raised concerns over the capacity to meet challenges including an unprecedented terror threat and rising levels of violence without a funding boost.

In August, a top Met Police officer suggested that victims may not get a visit from the police if they speak good English.

The second-in-command of the country’s biggest force said callers could be refused a visit from an officer unless they were considered sufficiently ‘vulnerable’.

Craig Mackey said victims prioritised for a ‘face-to-face service’ could include people for whom English was a second language.

The number of 999 calls received by forces was up by 10 per cent in 2016-17 compared to the year before

The report comes at a sensitive time in the debate over police resources, which has been played out in public over recent weeks as ministers prepare to unveil the latest cash settlement for forces.

A string of senior figures have raised concerns over the capacity to meet challenges including an unprecedented terror threat and rising levels of violence without a funding boost.

HMIC said: ‘While most forces throughout England and Wales have risen impressively to the challenges they face, policing remains under significant stress.

‘Forces’ plans for the future need to be more ambitious and innovative; in the cases of those which fail in this, the problems facing those forces could potentially prove overwhelming.’

The watchdog’s efficiency assessment examines how well police understand demand, use their resources and plan for the future.

It graded two forces as outstanding and 30 as good, while 10 were found to require improvement.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd said the report identified ‘vitally important areas’ police chiefs ‘should be more ambitious and improve efficiency across forces’.

National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Sara Thornton said: ‘Police forces are determined to spend their money with efficiency and to innovate to adapt and improve our services.’