Mrs May Gets It Right

Like the NHS the police need to be brought into the modern age even if they have to be dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming. The bureaucracy in the police is largely of their own making which instead of assisting them to catch criminals actually holds them back from doing so. Witness their absolute observance of health and safety rules to the extent that they will let people die rather than try and save them. Witness the incessant form filling which we were led to believe was entirely imposed by  government but which in truth is largely self inflicted. Yes, the police are good at controlling crowds and demonstrations but are they that good at solving crimes of violence, burglaries however petty, rapes and grievous bodily harm? I think not. Indeed it seems that the police won't get out of bed for the most petty of crimes let alone some of the more serious ones. The Policeman's Lot has been made easier as a result of technology and yet clean up rates are still dreadful. We all have experiences of the police not even bothering to collect fingerprints where there have been burglaries but eagerly handing out tickets for the most minor of motoring offences. It is good therefore that someone outside the police is being appointed as Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary who can look objectively at how the police operate and how policing may be improved for the rest of us. Good too that that someone already knows quite a lot about the police having written reports on police pay and conditions. Tom Winsor has caused considerable anger among the police with those reports and they have even demonstrated against them but by choosing him Mrs May is making it clear to the police that like the rest of us they also have to update themselves from time to time.