Neighborhood policing necessary for effective policing in Britain: watchdog

The traditional saying in Britain "If you want to know the time ask a policeman" is at risk, a report published Thursday into police effectiveness has warned.

The body that keeps a watchful eye on policing across England and Wales, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), has graded every police force on its overall effectiveness in reducing crime and keeping people safe.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham, who led the inspection, has warned police chiefs across the country to make sure neighborhood policing -- the cornerstone of the British policing model -- is preserved for future generations.

Just one police force, Durham Constabulary, has been rated as excellent. A further 24, including the City of London Police, were judged to be good and 18 were said to need improvement. Among the 18 is Britain's biggest force, the Metropolitan Police, which covers London.

Billingham has carried out one of the most wide-ranging inspections ever conducted into British policing. The HMIC examined police effectiveness across the board: from how forces identify anti-social behavior hotspots, to their mapping of organized crime groups, and from their management of the most dangerous offenders, to their work to protect children.

"Forces' good performance in preventing crimes is at risk if neighborhood policing is further eroded. Frontline neighborhood police officers have told us repeatedly that they are being pulled from their vitally important preventative work in communities to fulfil other duties, like guarding crime scenes, spending time in stations investigating crimes or staffing police station front counters," Billingham said in her conclusions.

"Police leaders need to take heed of HMIC's early warning and make sure that neighborhood policing is preserved for future generations," she added.

Almost all forces were good at preventing crime and anti-social behavior, the report found. The poorest performance was in the care and support for vulnerable victims, including children, with three-quarters of forces failing to meet the standard of "good."

In contrast, big improvements were found in how forces respond to domestic abuse victims.

The term "bobbies on the beat" is as old as policing in Britain, nicknamed after politician Sir Robert 'Bobby' Peel who as British Home Secretary in the 1820s introduced policing in London, with his bobbies patrolling areas known as beats. Endit