CRIME 2002: A THIN BLUE DECLINE.

Byline: KEVIN MORRIS, President of the Superintendent's Association and Chief Superintendent of Surrey Police 

THE Home Secretary should support officers rather than criticising them.

That was the crucial difference from Mayor Rudy Giuliani in New York - he stood shoulder to shoulder with his police chiefs and said the police were doing a great job.

Unfortunately a lot of police officers here don't feel like that at all at the moment.

Everyone keeps talking about New York did this, New York did that and how successful zero-tolerance policing was there.

Well, New York has got 42,000 officers compared to the 26,000 in the Metropolitan Police. Officers feel they have been kicked in the teeth after already being knocked down.

It came as no surprise to me - or anyone in the police force - that the Government's plans to reform pay were rejected.

My view on behalf of the Superintendent's Association is that every officer in the country still wants to produce a better service. But this is not helping them to achieve that.

We understand the Government is now seeking to go to arbitration.

That takes long time and the reforms they want just can't wait that long if they are serious about delivering a better service.

The rank and file feel they are in a battle to do the right thing for the public while getting bad press in return from Government.

We know our police force has some quality officers but they need to be picked up.

They all want to get out there and catch these criminals - they're as aggrieved as anyone about the rise in crime.

What the Government didn't consider with their new pay scheme was that massive amounts of overtime were being worked without officers claiming for it. Now they are trying to cut back on the amount they pay for overtime. They have lost all that goodwill.

But without that trust and goodwill, the Government are asking them to take a pay cut now with promises - that they don't believe - of payment later.

I fail also to understand David Blunkett's threat to send in his own management hit squads unless violent crime is reduced in the capital. Who is he going to put in?

I don't understand and neither do my colleagues. Mr Blunkett's ultimatum to head of Scotland Yard Sir John Stevens to sort out the rise of street robberies in the capital in the next six months or face a take-over has gone done very badly among senior officers.

Here is a man who has been knighted for his professional services in policing. He gets out on the ground, he is visible with his troops and he really is out there trying to motivate from the front and he gets a smack like that.

Politicians have to learn not to jump into knee-jerk reactions.

Mr Blunkett should concentrate on trying to sort out the legal system which deals with criminals rather than attacking the police.

Crime is an incredibly complex social issue and though the police can and will do the best they can - and try and do more - there is a limit what they can do on their own.

We keep nicking youngsters, putting them before the courts and they let them go.

Things do not turn round overnight. But there is this assumption we don't want to improve. The ranks are just thoroughly fed up with it all."

CAPTION(S):

HERO: Giuliani praised police in New York