In an article for Police Review, Policing Minister Nick Herbert insists that, although tough decisions have to be taken on funding, pay and pensions, he is ‘a fierce supporter of the police’.
Reducing bureaucracy and restoring professional discretion
Mr Herbert said, ‘I am determined to help officers to do their job in every way I can, whether it’s by reducing bureaucracy, dealing with inefficiencies in the criminal justice system, or eliminating targets and central direction that gets in the way. I want to restore professional discretion and give officers the space to exercise their judgement. And I want to encourage high quality training and a new focus on skills.’