Police Federation criticises plans for mandatory ‘licence to practise’ for officers | Police

The government must stop imposing unsafe workloads on police officers and improve police pay and training if it wants “professional” policing, the Police Federation said in response to the Home Office’s sweeping reforms to improve police standards.

Police officers in England and Wales will be required to hold and renew a “license to practice” throughout their careers in future, under new plans to be revealed in a white paper on Monday.

The Home Office said this would enable officers to “stay at the top of their game” by keeping up to date with “the latest problem-solving and technological skills they need to catch more criminals”.

The license will create a single standard framework for officer training, supervision and development that will be rolled out across all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

The Home Office said the law would set “clear standards” in areas such as violence against women and girls, neighborhood policing and leadership expectations for staff.

Police officers who repeatedly fail to prove “they have the necessary skills to fight crime” will be dismissed.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “Every police officer needs to keep fit to protect their communities. “As crime evolves, we expect policing to evolve more rapidly.

“A License to Operate will equip every officer, whether new to the force or a veteran, with the skills and abilities to do the job.”

But the Police Federation of England and Wales criticized the plans, saying: “Everyone wants professional policing but it requires pay, training, time and support.

“Officers routinely withdraw from mandatory training to fill gaps, work on rest days to stay afloat, and carry workloads that no one would call safe.

“We will wait for the details of the white paper, but these problems need to be fixed.”

Former Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner Festus Akinbusoye said the plan was completely unnecessary.

Akinbusoye, a former Conservative Party candidate, told the Daily Mail: “Of all the crises facing the British police force, including a recruitment collapse, appalling absenteeism, failure to get the basics right, deep-seated cultural problems and a serious leadership deficit, I am truly surprised that the Home Office has decided that the answer is to force police officers to obtain a License to Work.”

The reforms will form part of what the government says will be the biggest change to the police force since it was founded 200 years ago. Other changes announced include crime-fighting targets, responding to emergency calls and satisfying crime victims, while naming and shaming poor performers.

National targets potentially involving forces in league tables could lead to perverse incentives, a police chief has said. “People are worried about their position in the league tables as opposed to the quality of service,” they said. “What is measured is done, what is not measured is not done.”

Another chef said: “You can hit the target and miss the point.”

The government has also announced a graduate recruitment campaign, promising £7 million to attract graduates into neighborhood police officer positions.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood is set to announce the reforms in a white paper on Monday.