Police tied up with red tape
Police in the West Midlands are spending more than a third of their time away from front-line duties, filling in forms instead of catching criminals, figures reveal today. Police in the West Midlands are spending more than a third of their time away from front-line duties, filling in forms instead of catching criminals, figures reveal today. The shock figures show officers spend just 61.8 per cent of their time out on the beat. The picture was only a little better in the area covered by the West Mercia force, where 64.6 per cent of police time was spent on front-line duties. Staffordshire Police officers spent 66.6 per cent of their time on the front line in figures compiled for 2005-6. Across England and Wales, the average was 63.1 per cent. Read the full story in today's Express & Star
The picture was only a little better in the area covered by the West Mercia force, where 64.6 per cent of police time was spent on front-line duties.
Staffordshire Police officers spent 66.6 per cent of their time on the front line in figures compiled for 2005-6. Across England and Wales, the average was 63.1 per cent.
The leader of rank-and-file officers in the West Midlands today criticised the Government.
Pc Paul Tonks, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, said: "Officers have a real hatred of being trapped in a police station when they could be out patrolling."
All the forces have been given higher targets for next year, with West Midlands Police expected to make a dramatic increase to spend 73.1 per cent of time on front-line duties in 2007-08; while West Mercia's target is raised to 71.8 per cent; and Staffordshire's is 68.7 per cent.
The figures were released last night in a written parliamentary reply by police minister Tony McNulty.
Warley Labour MP John Spellar said: "We have got to make the paperwork simpler so we have the police out there doing their job of protecting the public."
By John Hipwood
