Police face 'management claptrap'

The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith met Chief Constable Roger Baker

Police forces have brought in "too much management claptrap", the chief constable of Essex has said.

Roger Baker made the comments after becoming the first chief officer to sign a new citizens' charter watched by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in Essex.

The charter spells out what the public can expect from the police.

Mr Baker welcomed the charter - called Police Pledges - and said it would give the public reference points on the standard of service they could expect.

Asked whether he thought that police had lost their focus on the "citizen", he replied: "Yes".

"Over a period of time. I cannot put my finger on it," he added. "In some areas... we have probably introduced too much management claptrap."

'Costly charade'

The charters, which the Home Office wants all chief constables to sign, were launched after the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) assigned an officer - Cambridgeshire chief constable Julie Spence - to be its "lead on citizen focus".

Mrs Spence said: "Local neighbourhoods were the bedrock on which policing in the UK was first built and chief officers are unswervingly committed to a visible, accessible, responsive and familiar policing style focussed on the expectations and needs of local people.

People don't want the police in press conferences talking about keeping people safe, they want them to be out on the streets doing it Matthew Elliott, TaxPayers' Alliance

"Acpo is determined to reaffirm these valued policing traditions."

She added: "I hope the national policing pledge will help reassure the public that policing is responsive to their needs."

The Home Secretary said: "The public are our strongest weapon in tackling crime and I passionately believe that empowering them to get a good deal through the policing pledge will play a powerful role in driving up the quality of policing for our citizens and in our communities."

A taxpayers' campaign group condemned the charter as a "costly charade".

The TaxPayers' Alliance said the public wanted the police to do their job, not describe it. Officials said forces were wasting time and public money "stating the blindingly obvious".

"People don't want the police in press conferences talking about keeping people safe, they want them to be out on the streets actually doing it," said chief executive Matthew Elliott.

"The police should be genuinely answerable to the public, rather than having to indulge in this costly charade of accountability."