LOSING THE DETECTIVES: VIEWS FROM THE ... - Police Federation

that it takes to process someone in custody when custody suites are busy, solicitors
and interpreters take time to attend and statutory charging has slowed down the
whole process. The detectives objected strongly to management’s requirement that
they should accept the working of these extended as hours as a matter of course.
They considered this to be an abuse of their commitment to ‘the job’ and of their
loyalty to their colleagues. It is perceived to be indicative of a management that is
unconcerned about detectives' welfare and the damaging effect regularly working
excessive hours can have on their health, family and private lives. Participants
repeatedly claimed there is no longer any ‘give and take’ in the organisation: it is now
all ‘take’. This is adding fuel to the disaffection noted above.
The perception of GO CID of their management was conveyed in the focus groups
when participants insisted there was little point in talking about the levels of stress
and stress-related illness in the GO CID teams as this was unlikely to impress ‘the
bosses’ or the Home Office. Rates of sickness were reported to be high and
detectives have quit for posts in specialist squads, as noted earlier, and for positions
outside the police service. A recent piece of research conducted on behalf of the
Police Federation on attrition rates suggests that police forces may not be reporting
accurate figures on recruitment and retention to the centre.
It was reported that an increasing number of detectives is refusing to work overtime
when asked. This may reflect a reassessment of the work-life balance but it may also
be indicative of their lowered morale. The indications are that this is likely to become
a more frequent response and, when it does, it will create a huge problem for an
organisation that has been able to rely in the past upon the goodwill of its detectives.
Consequences of the under-resourcing of GO CID for criminal Investigation
and crime detection
Despite the sensitivity of the information, members of the focus groups were
prepared to describe some of the coping tactics they have to employ to survive in
GO CID. They also provided some information about the complaints that have
resulted when these have failed. Their references to the ‘over-conscientious’
detective ‘ and the ‘premium investigation’ where sufficient resources are made
available, enabling them to pursue their enquiries to a successful prosecution at
Crown Court, provided an insight into their aspiration to perform the professional
practice that too frequently eludes them. They described the gratification they
obtained from these cases and rated those types of investigations as the most
satisfying and compensating aspect of their role.
In contrast with the ideal, the everyday reality of GO CID work is represented by the
resort to unprofessional coping tactics (which are a mirror image of what the
organisation does at a formal level), delayed investigations which can result in
discontinued cases, intelligence packages that are never actioned, serious crimes
that are not investigated and known offenders who are a threat to public safety,
committing crime with impunity.
(xi)