Search for
Search for
Search forPolice promise to take pledge
Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 07:00
South Wales and Dyfed-Powys forces have signed up to a new set of standards for service to the public.
They have joined all English and Welsh forces in agreeing a Home Office policing pledge which sets out exactly what people can expect from their bobbies.
Essex Police have just become the first force to reach the required service level, and all forces are working to follow suit.
The document lists 12 national pledges, along with local details such as the contact details of community officers, and neighbourhood priorities.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has hailed the pledge as an important step forward which would empower citizens.
She said: "The public are our strongest weapon in tackling crime and I passionately believe that empowering them to get a good deal through the policing pledge will play a powerful role in driving up the quality of policing for our citizens and in our communities."
But critics have said it amounts to little more than PR. The Tax Payers' Alliance has labelled it a costly charade which is just "stating the blindingly obvious".
So what does the pledge involve? The 12 commitments are:
1 Work to keep you and your neighbourhoods safe from harm.
2 Always treat you fairly, with dignity and respect, ensuring that you have fair access to our services at all times.
3 Publicise the details of your dedicated neighbourhood police team for your neighbourhood.
4 Ensure that 80 per cent of your Neighbourhood Police Team's time on duty is spent on your patch, and that there are visible patrols in your area at times and places where they are needed. Neighbourhood policing team staff turnover will be minimised.
5 Return calls and respond to email inquiries about local issues directed to neighbourhood police teams within 24 hours.
6 Aim to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds and non-emergency calls within 30 seconds, and tell you how your call will be handled.
7 Respond immediately to emergencies — getting to you within 15 minutes and much sooner if possible.
8 Aim to respond quickly to other priority and vulnerable cases, or those agreed with you that relate to neighbourhood policing issues, getting to you within 60 minutes.
9 For all other non-emergency calls, give you a timescale within which someone will attend if appropriate, making an appointment at a time agreed with and convenient to you, and within 48 hours.
10 Meet with you at least monthly to agree priorities and update you about crime and policing issues in your area, including: crime maps; information on specific crimes and what happened to those arrested; details of what action we and our partners are taking to make your neighbourhood safer; and data on how your local force is performing.
11 Acknowledge any dissatisfaction about the service you have received within 24 hours; tell you how it will be handled, give you an opportunity to talk in person to someone about your concerns, and tell you what will be done about it.
12 If you have been a victim of crime, keep you informed monthly of progress on your case for as long as you find this useful.
These national pledges will be supplemented by locally-agreed priorities, for example to tackle problems such as youth annoyance or illegal parking.
Both Dyfed-Powys and South Wales Police have said they fully support the pledge.
A spokesman for Dyfed-Powys said: "We are currently undertaking an assessment of what actions we need to take to comply with the policing pledge.
"This is an important new development and clearly sets out what standards of service you can expect from your local police.
"We are fully committed to implementing the pledge and using it to continue providing a high quality police service across the force area."
The initiative has also received the backing of Chief Inspector Roger Whitcombe, from South Wales Police.
He said: "We are still in discussions about some of the details involved in implementing the pledge," he said.
"But South Wales Police fully supports the idea — the pledge clearly sets out what the public can expect from us."
There can be few people who don't want a more effective police force — the question is how to achieve it.
Craigfelen Primary school pupil Nathan Williams is shown how to use a mobile speed gun by neighbourhood policing officer Constable Rob Jones.
Comment on this story