Reducing Bureaucracy in Policing - Home Office

REDUCING BUREAUCRACY PRACTITIONERS GROUP (RBPG)
Recommendations:
31. Retain and utilise the experience of front line practitioners through the RBPG to
assess progress and identify future bureaucratic burdens.
32. Establish local RBPG’s to assess local systems and practices for bureaucratic
burden.
Front-line officers know precisely what the causes of unnecessary bureaucracy are, they know
what the barriers to improvement are and they know the solutions. Senior officers and policy leads
need to constructively engage with front line practitioners to understand the problems they face
and the barriers to progress.
When appointed I brought together a group of frontline officers and staff, functionally and
geographically representative of the police service, to
� highlight major causes of bureaucracy
� identify processes that could be standardised across the service and
� review proposed new systems and processes to assess bureaucratic impact
The identified bureaucratic systems and processes included; collision recording, call handling,
case building/file management, crime and incident recording, custody, domestic violence risk
assessment, missing persons, national intelligence model, performance and development reviews,
CJS, partnerships, HR, performance culture , data collection, risk, training, technology and use of
force.
ACPO portfolio leads and heads of government departments have been encouraged to use the
group to assess proposed new policies, procedures and technological changes. As knowledge of
the group has become more widely known and increasingly used the value of their contribution and
constructive input has been greatly appreciated.
There is value in retaining and utilising the experience of frontline officers through the RBPG. I
welcome the initiative taken to incorporate it within the auspices of the reducing bureaucracy
project board.
Members of the RBPG have become ‘reducing bureaucracy’ advocates within their own forces and
I would recommend forces consider establishing a group of officers and staff to undertake a similar
role locally. Whether at a national or local level, front-line insight and buy-in is vital. The earlier you
engage the more likely it is changes will be implemented effectively.
The true test of winning the war on bureaucracy and red tape will be when front line officers feel it
and when common sense and trust have a value.
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