NPCC recognises significant strain on service

NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt said, “This is a broad report that raises many of the significant issues facing the police service today. It recognises the hard work and dedication of our officers but also the enormous strain they are under and the gap between our resources and the mission we’re asked to fulfil.

“The findings make clear that we can only deliver effective justice if all of the criminal justice system works together. To do that, all those with a part to play must be properly resourced, and as the report points out, that isn’t currently the case. Sir Tom makes a compelling case for long term sustainable funding.

“The rise in violent crime has been well documented but we’re also seeing an increase in the volume of other crimes and non-crime incidents like mental ill health. That pressure, coupled with the increase in complex, time and resource consuming investigations, is having a tangible impact on the wellbeing of our staff and we’re working hard to support them.

“I recognise the points made about making the police service work better on cross force threats. We need to build our ability to operate at a local, regional and national level whilst keeping accountability with the public we seek to protect.”