Funds worry over Home Office edict

Lincolnshire Police have committed to investigating every burglary under new Home Office rules, despite concerns about their funding.

Lincolnshire Police have committed to investigating every burglary under new Home Office rules, despite concerns about their funding.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman wants to standardise the approach to criminal investigations and has urged police forces to follow “all reasonable lines of enquiry” in their investigations.
She said: ““I’ve heard too many accounts from victims where the police simply haven’t acted on helpful leads because crimes such as phone and car thefts are seen as less important.
“That’s unacceptable. It has damaged people’s confidence in policing.
“Criminals must have no place to hide.”
PCC Marc Jones (pictured) said he agreed with the new rules but pointed to funding problems for Lincs Police which he says is the lowest in the country.
“My expectation is that the chief constable must use his decades of policing experience to bear down on crime of all types,” Jones added.
Earlier this year Lincolnshire Police reduced its numbers of PCSOs from 91 to 50, though it said this would be balanced by other officers and technology.
Lincolnshire Police’s deputy chief constable Julia Debenham said: “This updated guidance will allow us to further enhance how we tackle modern-day crime.”
She emphasised that the new guidelines would ensure consistency in service levels across the county.
“Prompt and effective investigation that maintains our investigative standards is still at the heart of all we do,” Debenham elaborated. She also mentioned that Lincolnshire Police are already working to capacity but see the new opportunities to identify offenders as something to be excited about.
The need for more funding to support the new initiatives is a recurring theme in the responses from both local and national law enforcement agencies.
The lack of manpower is a significant concern for the NPCC. “Approximately 21 of 43 forces still have fewer officers than in 2010,” said chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Gavin Stephens.
He added that “since 2010, the number of police officers has only increased by 2.6 per cent, while recorded crime has increased by 25 per cent.”