Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Deferred
Paragraph: 50
Embed specialist external expertise in police forces to drive necessary cultural reform
Recommendation
We recommend police forces embed specialist external expertise in permanent roles to drive the scale of cultural reform needed by officers, staff and the public in order to restore public faith in policing.
Government Response Summary
The government notes alignment with HMCI Cooke’s State of Policing Report and states it is still considering those recommendations, to which it will respond in due course, thereby deferring commitment.
Paragraph Reference:
50
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
45. This recommendation aligns with the recommendations made in HMCI Cooke’s State of Policing Report, published on 6 June. 46. There is currently no legislative vehicle through which to legislate for increased powers for HMICFRS, and any changes to legislation would need extensive consultation due to divergent views within the sector. Therefore, the previous Home Secretary asked policing leaders to come together and agree a way forward to address the issues raised in HMCI Cooke’s report. Policing Leaders met in September to discuss the recommendations, and there was no agreement that HMICFRS needed expanded powers to direct the NPCC, College or police forces. 47. Given the varied reasons a force may enter ‘Engage’, the support required to improve is not necessarily one size fits all. The College of Policing’s Home Office-funded Evidence- based Performance Improvement Programme gathers good practice from well performing forces and ensures this is shared. 48. We are still considering HMCI Cooke’s recommendations and will respond in due course.