Some Police officers "Little Better than Criminals"
Discussion
According to a reporttoday on the BBC;
[b]Report blasts policing standards
The report recommends changes to police recruitment practices
Policing standards in England and Wales are so low that some officers appear to be "little better than criminals", a think tank report has concluded.
Politeia, a right-wing think tank, has called for better training and tougher entrance requirements.
The report criticises the low standard of education needed for entry into the police and recommends university graduates should be fast-tracked.
The Home Office said graduates are increasingly joining the police.
And it said some recommendations, such as more flexible recruitment practices, were already being considered.
'Vague skills'
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw said: "The report is highly critical of the requirements for police recruitment, saying that a low standard of education is all that is needed, together with a number of vague skills and aptitudes.
"The result is that the most able find careers elsewhere. According to the study, the police service is left with officers who may appear incompetent and are unable to inspire confidence in those they serve."
One of the suggestions mooted in the study is that senior officers should stand aside for people from other professions to take their place.
The authors of the study include a former President of the Association of Chief Police Officers - Sir Anthony Burden - Chris Woodhead, who was Chief Inspector of Schools, and the former Prisons Inspector, Lord Ramsbotham. [/b]
So are the standards dropping? I have a great deal of respect for the police and I know a number personally, from PC's to a recently retired deputy chief. But some of the new recruits obviously leave a little to be desired.
[b]Report blasts policing standards
The report recommends changes to police recruitment practices
Policing standards in England and Wales are so low that some officers appear to be "little better than criminals", a think tank report has concluded.
Politeia, a right-wing think tank, has called for better training and tougher entrance requirements.
The report criticises the low standard of education needed for entry into the police and recommends university graduates should be fast-tracked.
The Home Office said graduates are increasingly joining the police.
And it said some recommendations, such as more flexible recruitment practices, were already being considered.
'Vague skills'
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw said: "The report is highly critical of the requirements for police recruitment, saying that a low standard of education is all that is needed, together with a number of vague skills and aptitudes.
"The result is that the most able find careers elsewhere. According to the study, the police service is left with officers who may appear incompetent and are unable to inspire confidence in those they serve."
One of the suggestions mooted in the study is that senior officers should stand aside for people from other professions to take their place.
The authors of the study include a former President of the Association of Chief Police Officers - Sir Anthony Burden - Chris Woodhead, who was Chief Inspector of Schools, and the former Prisons Inspector, Lord Ramsbotham. [/b]
So are the standards dropping? I have a great deal of respect for the police and I know a number personally, from PC's to a recently retired deputy chief. But some of the new recruits obviously leave a little to be desired.
THis is biased BBC left wing reporting at its worst. I have read the report. It doesn't say that Police Officers are "little better than criminals". It says that in terms of their educational qualifications, some Police Officers are no better equipped to Police than habitual criminals. Deliberately taken out of context to attract negative publicity to the report and smear the writers.
Jaglover said:
This seems to be a development of a trend that we have seen in the job market in general, ie more jobs requiring graduates that a generation before would not.
Why does an ordinary policeman have to be a graduate?
Is it possibly a reflection of the standard of education these days? ie a graduate of today is equivalent to a non graduate of 20-30 years ago?
esselte said:What are you talking about man, education standards have never been higher, and kids get the grades to prove it.
This seems to be a development of a trend that we have seen in the job market in general, ie more jobs requiring graduates that a generation before would not.
Why does an ordinary policeman have to be a graduate?
Is it possibly a reflection of the standard of education these days? ie a graduate of today is equivalent to a non graduate of 20-30 years ago?
Anecdotal evidence that graduates reach the workforce with problems in basic literacy and numeracy prove nothing. No matter how many times you here it. The government have STATISTICS! They MEASURE stuff! They KNOW they're right.
victormeldrew said:
Jaglover said:
This seems to be a development of a trend that we have seen in the job market in general, ie more jobs requiring graduates that a generation before would not.
Why does an ordinary policeman have to be a graduate?
Is it possibly a reflection of the standard of education these days? ie a graduate of today is equivalent to a non graduate of 20-30 years ago?
What are you talking about man, education standards have never been higher, and kids get the grades to prove it.
Anecdotal evidence that graduates reach the workforce with problems in basic literacy and numeracy prove nothing. No matter how many times you here it. The government have STATISTICS! They MEASURE stuff! They KNOW they're right.
victormeldrew said:
What are you talking about man, education standards have never been higher, and kids get the grades to prove it.
Anecdotal evidence that graduates reach the workforce with problems in basic literacy and numeracy prove nothing. No matter how many times you here it. The government have STATISTICS! They MEASURE stuff! They KNOW they're right.
Oh the irony!unrepentant said:
Cant see how the standards are dropping really, theres always been a bent element in the Police force.
I think they are criticising the fact that any old muppet can get in now and that selection criteria should be tougher.
I think this is bollox. Entering the police force has never been an academic question, and nor should it be. How many hyper inteligent morons do you know or higly academic idealists (god save us from left (or right)wing intellectuals).
You need pragmatic, sensible people with a highly developed sense of right and wrong (ie what is lawful, not necessarily what is legal).
How sad. Presumably the low entry standards are driven buy a shortage of recruits otherwise there would be no need to recruit people who would never make it otherwise.
Perhaps the answer is for the police to concentrate on local priorities and tackle them gaining local respect, but stop trying to be a branch of social services with all its angst about colour, sexuality and so on.
I suppose a successful police force wouldn't show up too well in the league tables as no crime means no clear-up rate!
Perhaps the answer is for the police to concentrate on local priorities and tackle them gaining local respect, but stop trying to be a branch of social services with all its angst about colour, sexuality and so on.
I suppose a successful police force wouldn't show up too well in the league tables as no crime means no clear-up rate!
XM5ER said:
I think this is bollox. Entering the police force has never been an academic question, and nor should it be. How many hyper inteligent morons do you know or higly academic idealists (god save us from left (or right)wing intellectuals).
You need pragmatic, sensible people with a highly developed sense of right and wrong (ie what is lawful, not necessarily what is legal).
Jaglover said:
I think this is bollox. Entering the police force has never been an academic question, and nor should it be. How many hyper inteligent morons do you know or higly academic idealists (god save us from left (or right)wing intellectuals).
You need pragmatic, sensible people with a highly developed sense of right and wrong (ie what is lawful, not necessarily what is legal).
Except under this government most of the job seems to entail filling out forms rather than nicking villains. Therefore a grasp of written English may be a more necessary pre-requisite than a coppers nose.
dogwatch said:
How sad. Presumably the low entry standards are driven buy a shortage of recruits otherwise there would be no need to recruit people who would never make it otherwise.
Perhaps the answer is for the police to concentrate on local priorities and tackle them gaining local respect, but stop trying to be a branch of social services with all its angst about colour, sexuality and so on.
I suppose a successful police force wouldn't show up too well in the league tables as no crime means no clear-up rate!
Not really. Academic skills shouldn't IMO be a prerequisite for being a copper - as long as they can read and write. People skills, nous, common sense etc. are much more important.
Elsewhere Woodhead criticises the Police SERVICE for the excess paperwork. I think he says something like "speak to any copper and they'll tell you they spend all their time filling forms in".
For a clerical job you need people with higher academic skills. But does anyone join the Police Force *because* they want to fill in forms all day - I doubt it.
The Headlines all make the same mistake. The "Police" are rubbish. Well, yes and no. The "Police"-men aren't rubbish. The "Police" system *is* rubbish.
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