The government must stop burdening police officers with unsafe workloads and improve police pay and training if they want “professional” policing, the Police Federation has said, in response to sweeping Home Office changes to improve standards in the police.
Under the new plans, to be unveiled in a white paper on Monday, police officers in England and Wales will be required to hold and renew a “licence to practise” throughout their career in the future.
This will ensure officers “stay at the top of their game” by keeping up to date with the latest “problem solving and technological skills they need to catch more criminals”, the Home Office said.
The licence will create a single standardised framework for officer training, supervision and development, which will be rolled out across all 43 police forces in England and Wales.
It would set clear standards in areas including violence against women and girls, neighbourhood policing and leadership expectations for staff, the Home Office said.
Officers who repeatedly fail to demonstrate they “have the skills needed to fight crime” will be sacked.
The crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said: “Every police officer needs to remain match-fit to protect their communities. As crime evolves, we expect police to evolve more quickly.
“The licence to practise will equip every officer with the skills and capabilities to do the job – whether new to the force or a policing veteran.”
But the Police Federation of England and Wales criticised the plans, saying: “Everyone wants professional policing, but that requires pay, training, time and support.
“Officers are routinely pulled off mandatory training to plug gaps, work rest days to stay afloat, and carry workloads no one would call safe.
“We will await the detail of the white paper but these issues need to be fixed.”
Former Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner Festus Akinbusoye said the plan was unnecessary.
Akinbusoye, a former Conservative party candidate, told the Daily Mail: “I am genuinely astonished that, of all the crises facing British policing such as collapsing recruitment, appalling retention, failure to get the basics right, deep-rooted cultural problems, and a serious leadership deficit – the Home Office has decided that the answer lies in forcing police officers to hold a licence to practise.”
The changes will form part of what the government has said will be the largest shake-up of the police service since it was founded 200 years ago. Other changes announced include targets for crime fighting, responding to emergency calls and satisfying the victims of crimes, with those performing poorly to be named and shamed.
One police chief said national targets, with forces potentially ranked in league tables, could lead to perverse incentives. “People worry about their position in league tables as opposed to the quality of service,” they said. “What gets measured gets done, and what does not get measured does not get done.”
Another chief said: “You can hit the target and miss the point.”
The government has also announced a graduate recruitment drive, with £7m promised to attract students into graduate neighbourhood police officer roles.
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will unveil the reforms in the white paper on Monday.