Would-be criminals need to know they won’t escape justice if they commit the crime

Traditionally, many have referred to the role of the archetypal patrolling beat officer in preventing crime just through their mere presence.

While there may be some deterrent effect, statistically at least, the chances of a police officer happening upon a crime in action is hugely unlikely. Indeed, I recall in the past figures presented which suggested that this was unlikely to happen even once during a police officer’s career.

There is no doubt that the visible presence of a uniformed officer or PCSO does have a reassuring effect in the minds of the public. This fact is regularly commented upon by politicians, the public themselves and in particular the PCC for Sussex Police who has placed great emphasis on the role of PCSOs through a recruitment drive.

As a former senior police officer and detective, it remains my opinion that the most effective way for the police service to prevent crime is for it to create a hostile environment for criminals. By this, I mean the creation of a real fear among the criminal fraternity that if they offend they will be caught and punished.

This of course also requires an effective criminal justice system the culmination of which includes effective sentencing including periods of imprisonment for offenders as appropriate. However, sticking with policing, that fear of being captured will only arise if the police service is well resourced with a well trained and highly motivated workforce which includes detectives.

As a former career detective myself, I have always placed great emphasis on this later point. During the past ten years, which has seen unprecedented cuts to police resources, the same period has seen a dearth of officers wishing to become detectives.

The latest idea to arise in order to overcome this issue is a decision to recruit graduates directly into the police service as detectives. This concept is fundamentally flawed in my opinion. Traditionally, officers entering the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) or any other specialist area of policing have started their policing careers as uniformed police constables.

The importance of this grounding cannot be under estimated. In order to be an effective detective, it is critical that such officers have a good grip of general police practice and policing issues generally. Without this foundation, I believe that it is likely that individuals are likely to fall at the first hurdle.

Also, what is this obsession within the modern police service suggesting that all officers need to be educated to degree standard or subsequent to joining become so qualified?

While I completed a degree and a post graduate diploma while I was serving, these qualifications may have assisted my ability to operate more effectively at a senior management level, but they did not make me a better police officer or detective.

Those skills were either already within me to a certain extent or were learned “on the job” so to speak. The best detectives who worked with and for me over the years, were those that were imaginative, determined and highly resilient. In other words, skills not acquired through educational qualifications.

In my opinion what is needed is to ensure that the best are encouraged to progress into specialist areas for the benefit of the public as well as the organization itself. This will only be achieved through giving those who have the basic tools to apply and then gain accreditation an incentive which should include an increase in status as well as financial reward.

Therefore, returning to my original point. Can the police really prevent crime? I believe that they can but not in the ways in which people may have traditionally seen the role of the police. Aimless foot patrolling is not and never has been very effective in my opinion.

While the sight of a patrolling constable may provide reassurance, in itself such activity does little to prevent crime. However, proper targeted activity based on a sound intelligence picture together with the use of relevant tactics such as stop and search, can and will reduce crime.

However, in my view, the most effective crime prevention tool is to create that atmosphere of fear in the minds of would-be criminals that if they commit crime, they are more likely than not to be caught and punished through the criminal justice process.

Kevin Moore

Retired Detective Chief

Superintendent Sussex Police

Kingsmead Way,

Seaford