Funding boost and red tape cuts announced to help police tackle crime and anti-social behaviour

The Home Office has announced a raft of new measures intended to cut red tape, tackle anti-social behaviour and improve police accountability.

The government’s policing white paper,  Protecting the public: supporting the police to succeed, has revealed new funding of £2.5m to improve working between police and councils to identify and tackle antisocial behaviour.

A key focus in the plans is police conduct and accountability, with new police 'report cards' to be given by the Inspectorate of Constabulary to inform the public of the quality of police services in their area from March 2010. A simplified complaints system will also be set up if police “don’t get it right first time.” Where there has been no individual misconduct, the Independent Police Complaints Commission will be given new powers to uphold complaints.

There are also plans to legislate to remove remaining barriers to collaboration between councils and the police and provide PCSOs with extra powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. The paper says the Home Office will work with the Association of Chief Police Officers on guidance to underpin the policing of public protests.

Anti-social behaviour and high-level crime were also addressed by the Home Secretary’s strategic policing priorities for 2010/11, which revealed joint working between police forces, law enforcement agencies and the community to tackle serious organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism. The strategy also will see the government give priority to youth crime and drug and alcohol-related offending.

Greater accountability, it is hoped, will be achieved by appointing lead police authority members to address public concerns in each local area. The plans also give power to members of the public to sit on local authority crime and disorder overview and scrutiny committees.

Plans to cut red tape include new legislation to reduce the paperwork involved in ‘stop and searches'. Also announced was piloting the transfer from the Crown Prosecution Service to the police of powers to charge for lesser offences.

The paper also seeks to reduce bureaucracy by responding to policing advocate Jan Berry’s report, Reducing bureaucracy in policing. Key recommendations accepted by the government from the report include the roll-out of a pilot scheme giving officers more discretion to deal with crimes. The government also notes the need to educate officers on the various ways they can deal with offenders within the criminal justice system and ensure they understand acceptable ways of dealing with each crime.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the white paper builds on neighbourhood policing, the single confidence target, policing pledge and the "Justice seen, justice done" campaign.

“The white paper supports the daily hard work and dedication of the police by making clear the entitlements of the public, providing greater accountability and meeting the public’s expectations,” he said.