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SCANDAL OF DESK-BOUND SERGEANTS

Only 10 per cent of time on the streets

Thursday July 3,2008

By Tom Whitehead

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(7)

POLICE sergeants are spending almost half their time at a desk and just 10 per cent out on the street.

The incredible amount of paperwork tying up senior frontline officers makes a mockery of a pledge to cut police red tape.

The problem is revealed in a scathing official report which also warns of declining standards.

It says some sergeants are afraid to confront scruffy constables because they fear being accused of bullying. It has resulted in untidy and lackadaisical officers who “get away with blue murder”, according to the report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

It comes a day after a chief constable warned that police officers will vanish from the beat in Britain within 15 years.

HM Inspector Jane Stichbury, who led the review into the role of sergeants, said: “There has to be some bureaucracy. The challenge is to say what are people actually doing logged into a computer when they need to be outside doing things?

“Too much time is spent inside, frankly. It is very easy to get tied to a desk. A culture can develop and it is easy to justify it.”

The report found some 45 per cent of a sergeant’s time was spent on paperwork , including 31 per cent on general administration.

That is almost five times the amount spent on supervising incidents at the scene, although another 10 per cent was spent supervising incidents from a control room.

One sergeant said he spent the first hour of his shift clearing emails and felt “swamped” by bureaucracy.

Another said: “Click, click, tap, tap best describes my job.”

Ministers and police chiefs have long promised to free officers from the mountains of form-filling and red tape but the Daily Express revealed last year that the average officer spends more than a third of their shift tied to a desk.

Today’s 190-page report also warned of declining police standards and called for national guidelines to govern the role of the frontline sergeant.

Click, click, tap, tap best describes my job

One sergeant

THE ROLE OF SERGEANT...

03.07.08, 9:07pm

is to boot lazy constables out of the canteen after 15 minutes and get them back on the streets.

• Posted by: Tristram • Report Comment

BEST WAY TO DESTROY SOMETHING???

03.07.08, 8:16pm

MAKE IT UNPOPULAR
MAKE IT INEFFECTIVE
DEMORALISE IT
CRIPPLE IT WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS
CRIPPLE IT EVEN MORE WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS!
SET IT FAR TOO MUCH TO DO
SET (MEANINGLESS) TARGETS
LOWER STANDARDS
SET IN PLACE "NODDING DOG" MANAGERS

POLICE/ PRISON SERVICE/NHS/FIRE SERVICE *

.... * DELETE AS APPROPRIATE

LIEBOUR COULD NOT GET SO MUCH WRONG BY ACCIDENT

THE DISINTINGRATION OF ENGLAND IS AN OBJECTIVE

• Posted by: JackDoff • Report Comment

I WONDER IF THERE IS MORE,MUCH MORE BEHIND IT?

03.07.08, 3:20pm

It has been reported today thar 'Miliband backs plan for EU super Army'' With the continuing undermining our Police Force at every opportunity ,could it all be part of their rich pattern planning for OUR Police to become part of an 'EU super police force'?
No government undermines its own Police Force for no reason, even accepting that this government could be the exception, no ,there must have been more behind it that we are supposed to know, perhaps they should to tell us why they have tied our police up with so much red tape and PC, with Macpherson giving them the golden opportunity to start the downturn, I may be completely wrong but somehow I would not put anything past this crew.,wonder why?

• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment

SCANDAL OF DESK-BOUND SERGEANTS

03.07.08, 2:21pm

We can comment all we wish but it make not the slightest difference. All of our woes go back to 1948. From that point Labour and the Tores have colluded to steal Britain and give it to foreigners. If you try to rail against it then you are automatically homophobic, Nazi, infringing the human rights of others, racist, Islamphobic - take your pick they have invented dozens of ways to screw our lives. Meanwhile these desk bound cops are not even taught to TYPE. And our streets? When they are patrolled it is by well meaning but basically useless plastic bobbies.

ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR LABOUR OR THE TORIES NEXT TIME AROUND?

• Posted by: JohnnyB • Report Comment

DESK-BOUND SERGEANTS

03.07.08, 12:35pm

At least some are lucky enough to have a sergeant. Here in Lyme Regis and I'm sure many small villages, constables are in charge of the station, and thier decisions are usually bad ones due to inexperience. In fact to add insult to injury, on sunny days they are usually to be found on the beach watching the girls go by.
With regard to criminals getting away with it, I have had goods stolen and then been arrested for badmouthing the thief.
This is all part of the politically correct culture where the act is deemed less serious than the statement of fact. The same applies to BT. I was left without a phone for five weeks, but if you dare to complain in strong terms then that is it. This is of course designed to protect incompetent people and organisations, but they are fooling nobody other than themselves, and the proof of this is the self replicating parasitic bureaucracy that is destroying this country. If you want a competent Brit, look no further than California, because that is where we will all end up

• Posted by: 106dl • Report Comment

SCANDAL OF DESK-BOUND SERGEANTS

03.07.08, 8:44am

The rot started to set in when BLiar committed Britain to the Insidious Criminals Rights Act (which was dressed up as the so called Human Rights Act to make it look good). And when New Labour allowed the PC Brigade to flourish and interfere in EVERY facet of British Life.

The average Joe Public gets no benefit from it - contraversially if Joe lays 1 finger on a Burglar breaking into his house the Police will arrest HIM andn probably let the Burglar go.

The Seargeants are committed to ensuring that the Criminal is treated Humanely, Fairly, Has ALL the help and assistance he or she needs to figh the case.

The Seargeant also has to ensure that his "staff who spend 10% of their time on the beat" are adequately trained and equipped and that they are unlikely to incur any personal inconveniences whilst doing the job. I suppose thats why when a report of a Break in or a Street Fight is recieved the Police never actually turn up until the event is over. Then they themselves are NOT faced with any difficulties other than having to go door knocking and ask questions.

YES THE SEARGEANT HAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE ESSENTIAL PAPERWORK IS COMPLETED TO ENSURE THAT SOME CRIMINAL CANNOT SUE THE POLICE FOR NEGLECT OR LOSS OF RIGHTS !

WHAT A STATE OF AFFAIRS - LAW AND ORDER IN BRITAIN IS AN ABSOLUTE FARCE.

THE WINNERS ? JUST GUESS - THE BARRISTERS WHO ARE COINING IT ALL AT THE TAXPAYERS EXPENSE.

NO WONDER BARRISTERS CAN AFFORD TO BUY PROPERTY WORTH £ Millions.

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment