Policy Hub
On 18 October 2005, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) published research (Managing police performance: accountabilities, performance measurement and control) which examined management processes in a large metropolitan force, one of the smallest in the country, and two medium-sized local police forces. The study argues that police forces and the government need to balance how performance is assessed, by bringing anti-social behaviour into the equation, both nationally and in local decisions, on how and where to focus attention.
According to the author, many senior police officers admit that, even five years ago, they believed they were largely unable to make an impact on crime due to its socio-economic causes and the actions or inactions of agencies responsible for education, health and social services. However, experience from the United States and locally has taught senior police that they can have an affect, and these lessons are being applied more and more in forces in this country.
The system of performance management used has been largely linked to levels of crime and detection rates, and determined by issues of national, rather than local concern. The study found that, in order to tackle crime and improve detections, resources have been moved away from more visible elements of policing, such as dealing with anti-social behaviour. In three of the four forces studied, anti-social behaviour did not feature in the tasking process. The reduced visibility of police appears to have hit public confidence, despite the success experienced in reducing crime.
A summary can be viewed on the Society Today website.