Supercops: the return of tough policing

In a few weeks’ time, police across the country will receive a new order: ‘Investigate every crime’. It may not sound like a novel concept, but over the past few years forces – including the Metropolitan Police – have largely given up on low-level crime. Austerity was seen as a reason to ignore burglaries, thefts and minor assaults if officers believed there was little chance of identifying a suspect. But now a new theory is about to be put into practice: that investigations will lead not just to more convictions, but to more deterrence.

This change in tack – which will see police chiefs look into all crimes where there is a reasonable lead, such as video footage or a GPS tracker on a stolen phone – isn’t an idea devised in a Westminster thinktank or even a Whitehall department. Instead, it comes from Greater Manchester. It is a model put in place by Steve Watson when he took over as chief constable two years ago. At the time, the force was in special measures. But in just 18 months it was removed from enhanced monitoring after it halved the number of open investigations, shortened response times and improved support for staff. Watson’s tactics were to make more arrests, follow up every burglary and get his officers off Twitter.

Watson is one of a handful of standout chief constables to whom Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, is paying close attention as the Tories prepare to fight on the issue of crime at the next election. Glance at the figures and the government ought to have a positive story to tell. According to the Office for National Statistics, surveyed crime (excluding fraud and computer misuse) has halved since 2010. Earlier this year, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke declared in his annual report that ‘England and Wales are arguably safer than they have ever been’.