Playing The Hand We’re Dealt

Last updated on November 23rd, 2023 at 07:45 pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A number has been bothering me recently, a number that I simply can’t get out of my head, but I don’t know what the number is.

What is the number where the Police Service of England and Wales can no longer function? How many more officers can we shed before we reach that number?  Because we know that even more losses will occur before 2020.

Twice yesterday I put the question to NPCC, together with the current and former Home Secretaries via the medium of Twitter

https://twitter.com/alanw47/status/770891336950185984

Unsurprisingly no response.

I say unsurprisingly because we know that no Risk or Impact Assessments were conducted as part of the Winsor Reviews.  I asked the Home Office for copies and their reply was that none had been done, so why should I assume that Risk and/or Impact Assessments have been conducted as part of the culling of the Police Service?

Somebody somewhere must know the formula for calculating the bare minimum number of Police Officers needed to keep this country safe and maintain Law and Order, but nobody wants us to know.  How far can we stretch the knicker elastic before it twangs and our drawers fall round our ankles?

Then I happened upon a convo on Twitter between NPCC and Leicestershire Chief Constable, Simon Cole;

To which I contributed the following;

https://twitter.com/alanw47/status/771032428701970435

The response I received from Mr Cole was this;

That just isn’t good enough.  All that implies to me is that the Police Chiefs have rolled over and will try to do the best with what they’ve got, but they have given up the fight.

WHY ARE THE CHIEFS NOT FIGHTING?

Are QPMs and Knighthoods the ultimate goal?  By refusing to fight are they not being disloyal to their troops and betraying their populace?  I think so.

Play the hand we are dealt well?  The bloody deck is loaded, a couple of the Aces are missing and a few Jokers have crept in.

To me Reform is about improvement, making things more efficient.  I don’t oppose those two ideals, but how do you improve and become more efficient when you are being culled?

Somebody please explain this to me

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4 thoughts on “Playing The Hand We’re Dealt”

  1. Such a glib response about playing the hand you are dealt. Typical of the current breed whose mantras include more for less and if you don’t like it leave. I think the term institutional buffoon covers them. I am sure that there are numbers at which HM Armed Forces cannot sustain their role. Why not Emergency Sevices? Come to that, why not health services? I suspect that it is because they have cut below the safe number threshold in all of the above. I wonder whether the Health and Safety Executive would receive a better answer?

    1. I think you’re right with all your examples and more, Teachers, Prison Officers, Coastguards etc etc. Sadly it seems it will need a major disaster before our ‘masters’ sit up and listen

  2. This reduction will go on till things don’t work any longer.All hell will break loose and then they will suddenly have a re think.No heads will roll.

    1. I’m sure you’re right Ken, but I’m equally sure that will be too late. They can’t reinvent the Police Service overnight

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