Latest news with #NationalPoliceChiefsCouncil
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Police report 18% rise in disorder for last season
The number of football matches in England and Wales with reported incidents of disorder increased by 18% during the 2024-25 season, according to latest policing Home Office says the number of reported incidents rose from 1,341 in 2023-24 to 1,583 and include football-related violence, disorder, anti-social behaviour and means at least one incident was reported at more than half of the 3,090 matches played last season from the Premier League down to the National League and games in FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy, Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and international fixtures. The number of arrests, however, dropped by 11% from 2,167 to 1,932 - a first decrease since fans returned to the stadiums after the Covid-19 National Police Chiefs' Council said the "worrying level of offending at men's football matches across the country" is putting an increased strain on the Constable Mark Roberts, its football policing lead, said the figures show "why it is essential that football clubs need to start paying their fair share towards policing matches." "Policing men's football creates significantly more demand than any other event in terms of public order deployments nationally, meaning every week, officers are taken away from policing communities to facilitate matches."He added "the police are subsidising clubs that quite happily spend up to a £1bn in a single transfer window." Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, also said earlier this month the clubs must pay towards the £70m cost of policing their matches every year. Hate crime, reported at 420 matches last season, was the most common incident while 287 were related to race, 140 to sexual orientation, 20 to religion, 19 to disability and three to gender United had 121 fans arrested during the season - more than an any other club in the top six tiers of English City were second with 94 arrests and West Ham, who had the most arrests in each of the previous three seasons, followed with 77 most common offences for arrest were public disorder (32%), violent disorder (22%) and the possession of Class A drugs (19%). Rules introduced ahead of the 2022-23 season mean anyone caught in possession of Class A drugs in connection with football faces a five-year number of online hate crimes also decreased from 322 in 2023-24 to 212 last season. Of these, 199 were related to men's game and 13 to women's. Policing minister Diana Johnson said: "Police up and down the country work incredibly hard to ensure football stadiums are safe, so we can all enjoy our national game."Today's statistics show that these efforts are paying off and strong action is being taken to stop violence and disorder from ruining football."
Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Schools, NHS and ‘two-tier' police accused over antisemitism
A wide-ranging review has found there is no 'consistent' approach to tackling antisemitism, prompting fresh accusations of 'two-tier' policing. The investigation, led by a former cabinet minister and the government's tsar on tackling discrimination against Jews, said decision-making and standards varied across the country. The investigators' report, commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, is set to be published on Tuesday. It includes warnings about a 'normalisation' of antisemitism, with prejudices against Jewish people evident across British society from the NHS to arts organisations. Documents seen by The Times reveal concerns over police forces' approach to allegations of antisemitism. The report says: 'We would like to see consistent decision-making and standards across all police forces throughout the country. Our evidence shows that this is not the current reality. We recommend that the [National Police Chiefs' Council] and the College of Policing come forward with proposals on how such consistency can be embedded in dealing with antisemitic crimes.' • Dozens of universities yet to adopt antisemitism definition Among the most egregious examples concerned the alleged failure by Essex Police to protect Jews during a protest in Westcliff-on-Sea in April. Residents said police should not have allowed the route of a rally to pass five synagogues around the time of Passover, with worshippers intimidated into staying at home. Those who did venture out were targeted by demonstrators who shouted 'baby killers' at them, The Telegraph reported. Police forces are told to take 'a consistent approach' towards those who 'act as organised crime groups by calculatedly planning to cause damage to buildings, property and people'. The report is the culmination of a six-month research project led by John Mann, a Labour peer and the government's antisemitism tsar, and Dame Penny Mordaunt, the former Conservative cabinet minister. Sir Michael Ellis, a former Tory attorney-general who is also Jewish, said: 'There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that policing in this country is two-tier, and is completely failing the Jewish community and wider society. 'Having prosecuted in criminal cases for 17 years before becoming attorney-general I have been shocked at the double standards that exist when it comes to dealing with antisemitism in this country … it is critical that this report's recommendations are immediately actioned.' Other measures suggested in the report include ensuring primary school teachers avoid passing on antisemitism in lessons or using Jewish 'tropes' in front of children. Faith schools are told that staff should receive training on biases in Christian sources used as teaching materials. There are also claims of a 'specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS'. Health service leaders are advised to hold a summit 'to begin to address this', and establish basic training on contemporary antisemitism at every NHS trust. Jewish comedians and artists who had work cancelled after pressure from pro-Palestine groups are encouraged to pursue discrimination claims in the courts. The report says: 'Discrimination is illegal but costly to challenge legally and we received substantial evidence of more hidden barriers being put in front of Jewish involvement within the arts … there should always be a robust response for those who choose to discriminate and government at every level should ensure this.' Also among the ten recommendations presented to ministers are categorising Judaism as an ethnicity as well as a religion; creating an antisemitism training qualification to standardise such courses; and including education about antisemitism in workplaces' equity, diversity and inclusion materials. • Member of Board of Deputies of British Jews quits over Gaza row Some of the largest police forces in the UK noted two spikes in types of religious hate crime in 18 months. Antisemitic offences recorded by forces including Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Metropolitan Police soared after October 7 and the conflict that followed. The same forces logged an increase in Islamophobic offences after the stabbings in Southport in July last year and the subsequent violent disorder. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'The findings of this report rightly shock a lot of ordinary Britons. But sadly, to the Jewish community they are the everyday reality. 'The infiltration of antisemitic tropes into our primary school sector is particularly distressing, as this not only puts Jewish children at risk but instils the worst prejudices in the next generation at an impressionable age. 'It is critical that all educators and head teachers arm themselves with the tools to identify antisemitism so that it cannot find its way into the classroom and is challenged and confronted whenever it does. Educating against racism is among teachers' first responsibilities. Schools must redouble their efforts to stamp this hatred out.' The government said ministers would consider the review's recommendations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'The poison of antisemitism has reared itself in the UK and across Europe and this government will work unrelentingly to stamp it out wherever it is found. Religious and racial hatred have absolutely no place in our society, which is why we're taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms.'
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Police chiefs call for cuts to number of forces in England and Wales
Police chiefs in England and Wales have told ministers that the number of forces should be cut to end 'the postcode lottery for victims of crime', the Guardian has learned. They believe a reduction from the current 43 forces would save money, cut overheads and boost crime-fighting efforts. Law enforcement leaders told the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, last month at a roundtable on police reform that they were in agreement about the need for the change. Cooper has already backed other police reforms, such as setting up a national centre for policing, and believes the way policing across England and Wales is organised is out of date. But a lack of money threatens to delay changes and some smaller forces may oppose the changes. One source said any changes could start with smaller forces merging or being abolished. In the west, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire could merge. In the Midlands, Warwickshire could join with the West Mercia force or be absorbed by the much bigger West Midlands force. In the east, the Norfolk and Suffolk forces could merge. The West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and the South Yorkshire forces could also merge. Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, told the Guardian: 'Police reform is about restructuring policing so that it can keep up with modern criminality, retaining the bedrock of community policing whilst modernising our workforce to deal with national threats such as organised crime and violence against women and girls. 'Our current model of 43 different police forces in England and Wales has a wide range of geographical size, workforce size and operational capabilities. There is also real variation in financial resilience and the ability to invest, which means policing operates in subtly different ways with often incompatible technology, which leads to inefficiencies and inconsistency. 'A smaller number of police forces, supported by a national policing organisation, would enable us to make decisions far quicker and maximise funding to invest in technology and our workforce. Making improvements to our service once and for all, instead of in 43 different ways, would help to end the postcode lottery victims face when reporting crime.' One senior source said: 'Everyone is in agreement we need fewer forces. It would create efficiencies and greater effectiveness.' Another source with knowledge of discussions said: 'Chiefs of smaller forces are nervous but accept this is where the tide is going. We hope for a phased reduction over the next decade.' No changes are expected to happen in this parliament, and any change of government after the next election could lead to the agreement to abolish police forces being scuppered. Politically, it was believed a reduction in the number of forces would have to happen under Labour. MPs representing Conservative areas, which tend to be less urban, feared police would move from more rural areas to areas where crime tended to be higher. One chief constable said that if their force absorbed a smaller force, people in more rural areas could be offered a guarantee about how many officers would be ringfenced to protect them. As yet, no detailed plans have been drawn up or presented to the government, but Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said he favoured a reduction to as few as 12 forces. It is understood that this is the number of forces senior police chiefs think should ultimately cover England and Wales. In a piece for the Sunday Times, Rowley said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new, bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' In Scotland, forces have already merged into one organisation covering the entire country, which is the second largest in the UK behind the Met. Northern Ireland is also covered by a single force.
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Met commissioner calls for the axing of 43 county constabularies and the forming of '12 mega forces'
Sir Mark Rowley has called for Britain's 43 county constabularies to be axed and replaced with 12 'mega forces' in what would be the biggest overhaul of policing in 60 years. In a damning review of UK's crime fighting set up, the Met Police boss said the current system has not 'been fit for purpose for at least two decades'. Writing in The Sunday Times, Sir Mark said that bigger forces would be better able to utilise modern technology and would reduce 'expensive' governance and support functions. He said slashing the number of forces by two-thirds would make 'better use of the 'limited funding available' in a thinly veiled dig at Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Sir Mark said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. 'It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' He characterised Chancellor Rachel Reeves ' decision to increase police funding by 2.3 per cent above inflation each year in the recent spending review as 'disappointing'. Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, last month warned forces were facing 'difficult choices' and some would 'struggle to make the numbers add up' as the cost of borrowing spirals. Some have increasingly relied on borrowing, and the cost of debt is expected to rise by 49 per cent in the next three years. 'Forces' borrowing costs have been going up because for the last decade, local forces have had no capital investment at all,' he said. 'The main capital investment has gone to big projects at the centre.' Force chiefs want greater say over how they structure their workforces, with the removal of restrictions on ring-fenced funding that was granted by the previous government to replace officers cut during austerity. Mr Stephens said policing needs a variety of workers other than officers, including cyber specialists, crime scene investigators and digital forensic experts, in the same way that 'the health service is much more than just about doctors'. He added: 'We know that the Government had some very difficult choices to make, as a consequence of this, policing is going to have some very difficult choices to make too.' Sir Mark has previously warned of 'eye-watering cuts' to Britain's largest police force with it revealed in April it faces a £260million funding hole in its budget. It will see the loss of 1,700 officers, PCOs and staff, although frontline services would be protected. However, other areas will face cuts including scrapping the Royal Parks Police, a 10 per cent cut to forensics, and the possibility of taking firearms off the Flying Squad. London Mayor Sadiq Khan last month delivered a public rebuke to Ms Reeves as he warned her spending plans risk ' levelling down London '. Sir Sadiq said he was 'disappointed' that the review unveiled by the Chancellor had not committed to new infrastructure in the capital. He also condemned the funding settlement for the police, saying the Met might have 'fewer police officers' as a result. Despite Labour's massive borrowing-funded spending splurge, some areas are facing tough restrictions due to the NHS sucking up huge resources. Yvette Cooper's Home Office is thought to have been one of the losers, with police funding seeing limited real-terms increases despite a pledge to recruit 13,000 more officers and staff for neighbourhoods in England and Wales.
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Met chief calls for ‘mega' forces in push for police reform
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has called for the creation of 12-15 mega forces as part of what he described as 'the first serious reform of our policing model in over 60 years'. Writing in The Sunday Times, Sir Mark said the current system of 43 county forces had not 'been fit for purpose for at least two decades'. He added that bigger forces would be better able to utilise modern technology and would reduce 'expensive' governance and support functions. Sir Mark said: 'The 43-force model was designed in the 1960s and hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades. It hinders the effective confrontation of today's threats and stops us fully reaping the benefits of technology. 'We need to reduce the number of forces by two-thirds, with the new bigger and fully capable regional forces supported by the best of modern technology and making better use of the limited funding available.' He characterised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to increase police funding by 2.3% above inflation each year in the recent spending review as 'disappointing'. Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, last month warned forces were facing 'difficult choices' and some would 'struggle to make the numbers add up' as the cost of borrowing spirals. Some have increasingly relied on borrowing, and the cost of debt is expected to rise by 49% in the next three years. 'Forces' borrowing costs have been going up because for the last decade, local forces have had no capital investment at all,' he said. 'The main capital investment has gone to big projects at the centre.' Force chiefs want greater say over how they structure their workforces, with the removal of restrictions on ring-fenced funding that was granted by the previous government to replace officers cut during austerity. Mr Stephens said policing needs a variety of workers other than officers, including cyber specialists, crime scene investigators and digital forensic experts, in the same way that 'the health service is much more than just about doctors'. He added: 'We know that the Government had some very difficult choices to make, as a consequence of this, policing is going to have some very difficult choices to make too.'
