Police ‘screaming’ in frustration at primitive technology

Tom Winsor, the first chief inspector who does not have a police background, said supplying officers with “antiquated” equipment “haemorrhages efficiency”.

One officer he interviewed was using a personal digital assistant device (PDA), which Mr Winsor said he had not seen “in 10 years” and was “next to useless”.

His comments came as the recently retired chief constable of Humberside Police, Tim Hollis, claimed recent controversies surrounding newly-elected crime commissioners was threatening to undermine confidence.

Both Humberside and West Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioners have been criticised for “political” appointments of deputies, while in Cumbria commissioner Richard Rhodes came under fire when details of his expenses were leaked to the media and three members of staff were arrested.

Writing in today’s Yorkshire Post, Mr Hollis said: “These are early days but stories about commissioners continue to appear which focus on staff appointments and judgments rather than on their success in delivering actual improvements to the service.

“If public confidence in the new role is to improve, then that focus must change.

“The real test will fall at the end of the 2013 when comparisons on crime levels against previous years will allow judgment to be made as to whether they have started to deliver on their manifesto commitments or not.”

Mr Winsor, a former rail regulator, was delivering his first public speech at the Royal United Services Institute since taking up his current role seven months ago.

He is the mastermind behind a series of radical reforms to policing, including changes to pay and conditions and the introduction of direct entry at higher ranks.

Mr Winsor said that crime prevention was “the primary purpose of policing”. But he added prevention is not the sole obligation of the police but of every citizen, particularly parents, families, schools and health professionals.

Hitting out at the state of “slow and patchy” technology among police forces, he said: “In too many respects, the technology which officers have to work with is quite far behind where it could be.”

Comment: Page 10; Police challenges to solve: Page 11.