New 999 response time targets to speed up policing and catch more criminals
Under the reforms to be announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, police forces are expected to respond to 999 phone calls within 10 seconds and reach the scene of violent crime faster.
As part of a major overhaul of policing in England and Wales on Monday, Shabana Mahmood will say officers will be expected to arrive at the scene of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in cities and 20 minutes in rural areas.
The most serious incidents include danger to life, serious injury to a person or serious damage to property, and the use or direct threat of violence. These will also include crimes in progress or the new presence of an offender at the scene.
Ms Mahmood will give police forces new targets to ensure standards are the same across the country. He said: “Everyday crime is on the rise across the country and often there seems to be no consequences.
“People report crimes and wait hours, even days, to hear back. By the time the police arrive, the perpetrators and witnesses are long gone.”
All policing reforms will be outlined in a white paper to be published on Monday. Ms Mahmood has already announced the creation of a new National Police Service (NPS), called “Britain’s FBI”, which will take responsibility for counter-terrorism, fraud and organized crime investigations.
Ms Mahmood said the creation of a superpower would enable local forces to tackle everyday crime. Currently, the Metropolitan Police is responsible for counter-terrorism policing, the National Weather Service is carried out by West Yorkshire Police and National Highways Policing is carried out by Sussex Police.
These national investigations will be handled by the new NPS, which will also take on the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The government is also expected to radically reduce the number of police forces from the current level of 43. Police officers in England and Wales will need to be licensed to continue working under the new plans.
Civil servants will need to renew their “license to work” throughout their careers by following specific training such as combating violence against women and girls.
Responding to the Home Office’s targets for responding to 999 calls and responding to serious crime, John Hayward-Cripps, chief executive of Neighborhood Watch, said: “The data shows there is a real difference in how well different forces respond to incidents. The effectiveness of the police, and the trust we have in the police, is built on the relationships they have and maintain with the public.”
“Therefore, for the government to introduce national standards and, importantly, the resources required to meet them, is a welcome step forward.”
