Yvette Cooper to unveil major policing overhaul to reverse failing public confidence in forces

The home secretary will tell policing top brass about a new Home Office unit to monitor force performance at a major conference

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is unveiling a string of major police reforms (PA Wire)

The home secretary is set to unveil a string of major reforms and half a billion pounds in extra funding in a bid to reverse the collapse in public confidence in police forces.

Yvette Cooper will lay out details of a new Police Performance Unit that allows her to closely monitor standards and performance at forces in a speech at a major policing conference on Tuesday.

Described as a “fundamental reset” of government and police relations, the shake-up will see the Home Office take a more active role in police oversight.

This will include a new central database of force-level data tracking local performance in priority areas like knife crime and violence against women and girls, which Labour has promised to halve in a decade.

Ministers will work with police inspectors, the College of Policing and Police and Crime Commissioners to ensure there is effective intervention when forces are failing.

A new Police Performance Framework will be drawn up between policing and the Home Office to make sure standards are upheld across the country.

The Home Office is set to take a more active role in police oversight and performance through a new government unit (PA)

In addition, forces will receive an additional half a billion of funding to support Sir Keir Starmer’s Safer Streets Mission to tackle neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour.

Ms Cooper, who insists she has the backing of police leaders for the widespread reform, will share the details in her first major speech at an annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) this week.

She will tell policing top brass the changes are an opportunity for a “fundamental reset” in the relationship between government and policing. It comes after a string of high-profile cases has rocked confidence in police in recent years, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

“Public confidence is the bedrock of our British policing model but in recent years it has been badly eroded, as neighbourhood policing has been cut back and as outdated systems and structures have left the police struggling to keep up with a fast-changing criminal landscape,” she will say.

“That’s why we’re determined to rebuild neighbourhood policing, to improve performance across police forces and to ensure the highest standards are being upheld across the service.

“The challenge of rebuilding public confidence is a shared one for government and policing. This is an opportunity for a fundamental reset in that relationship, and together we will embark on this roadmap for reform to regain the trust and support of the people we all serve and to reinvigorate the best of policing.”

Yvette Cooper described the changes as a ‘fundamental reset’ of police and government relations (Getty)

Other measures include the establishment of a new National Centre of Policing focused on centralising some backroom services to tackle fragmentation between forces.

While work is underway to determine the scope and scale of the unit, it is expected to include specialist and supportive functions like forensics, aviation and IT, according to the Home Office.

The full details will be published in a white paper in spring, followed by legislation in due course.

Chair of the NPCC Gavin Stephens said: “We’re encouraged to hear the Home Secretary’s plans for policing reform and look forward to working with government and our partner agencies to determine how best we can shape the future of our service.

“At our joint summit with the APCC this week, I’ll be giving more detail on our vision and ambitions, keeping communities at the heart of all that we do.”

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said too often police forces have “failed to get the basics right”.

“Today I welcome the commitment of the home secretary to put neighbourhood policing firmly at the heart of the reforms,” he added.

“Never has it been more important for forces to adapt to the world in which we now live, with their current structures put in place over half a century ago. They are dealing with inexperienced workforces, and their officers are struggling with high workloads and low morale.

“Forces need greater direction and decision-making, and the right funding in place. These need to be supported by a data-driven and preventative approach to enable them to get a grip on their performance.”

Police inspector Andy Cooke said too often police forces have ‘failed to get the basics right’ (PA)

Chair of the APCC Emily Spurrell said she “welcomed” the data-led government oversight to shine a light on issues of concern and to highlight best practice.

Dr Rick Muir, director of the think tank Police Foundation, said: “A serious reform programme like this in policing is long overdue.

“Too often in the past, officers at the frontline have been let down by outdated technology, inadequate training and inefficient support services.

“Until these issues are addressed, the public won’t get the quality of policing they deserve.”