"Policing's greatest strength is its people"

Today, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Michelle Skeer, published her annual State of Policing Report. It is an important and timely assessment of the challenges facing policing and the opportunities ahead.  

The report acknowledges what many of us see every day: policing's greatest strength is its people. Across England and Wales, officers, staff and volunteers demonstrate extraordinary professionalism, courage and commitment in service of their communities. They respond to emergencies, protect vulnerable people, investigate crime and support victims, often while dealing with growing pressure themselves. The report rightly recognises both their dedication and the strain under which many now work.  

Since the publication of the last State of Policing report, the Government has published its Police Reform White Paper, setting out a bold and ambitious vision for the future. This is genuinely a once-in-a-generation opportunity for policing, and it is vital that we collectively get it right.  

The report highlights the reality that policing is being asked to tackle increasingly complex threats. From cyber crime and fraud to serious organised crime, safeguarding, public disorder and terrorism, the breadth of modern policing is vastly different from the challenges our current system was designed to address. Many of the structures that underpin policing today were created more than sixty years ago. While they have served communities well, they are increasingly stretched by modern demands.  

Despite these pressures, forces across England and Wales have continued to make progress in strengthening neighbourhood policing, increasing visibility in communities and giving local people a stronger voice in local policing priorities. Neighbourhood policing remains the bedrock of policing by consent and central to maintaining public trust and confidence. But we must also recognise the financial pressures and competing demands that can affect delivery.  

The Inspector's report reinforces a point many chief constables have been making for some time: despite the best efforts of those working within policing, our current structures can make it harder to provide the best possible service to the public. Reform is not about change for its own sake. It is about ensuring policing is organised in a way that allows resources to be directed where they will have the greatest impact.  

National reform provides an opportunity to simplify an increasingly complex landscape, reduce duplication and better connect local, regional and national capabilities. Very few forces can independently maintain the full range of specialist services needed to respond to major incidents, organised crime, cyber crime and terrorism. Reform can help ensure that every community has access to those capabilities when they are needed, regardless of geography.  

Importantly, reform is not only about improving services for the public. It is also about creating a better environment for the workforce. The report highlights concerns around workload, fatigue and wellbeing. Policing cannot continue to rely solely on the resilience and goodwill of its people. We must support them with better systems, improved technology, stronger wellbeing provision and structures that allow them to focus more of their time on serving communities.  

The report also underlines the importance of funding and investment. Alongside funding, we need to ensure resources are distributed fairly and that communities can see the benefit of that investment in frontline services. Reform offers an opportunity to address longstanding disparities, improve consistency and provide a more resilient service across England and Wales.  

Ultimately, this is about building a policing system that is fit for the future. One that strengthens neighbourhood policing, improves access to specialist capabilities, supports the wellbeing of our workforce and provides a consistently high standard of service wherever people live. 

The people of policing remain our greatest strength. The responsibility now is to ensure they have the structures, support and resources they need to continue keeping communities safe for decades to come. 

You can read the press release from HMICFRS here - Police reform is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to substantially improve the service provided to the public - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services