Report of the Inspector of Constabulary for 1987 - England and
01 January 1991
Report of the Inspector of Constabulary for 1987 - England and
Wales
bacdoc June=1991
PERSONNEL & COST
At the end of 1987 there were 124,102 police officers in the 43
forces in England and Wales(inc.Met), and 41,000 civilian
staff. The-total cost of policing in these forces was
estimated to be ¼3,538 million.
CRIMINAL STATISTICS
The total number of recorded offences in 1987 was 3,155,049, a
rise of 2% over 1986. The clear-up rate was 37%, a rise of
1%(both figures exclude Met).
All the following figures exclude the Met. There were 494
murders. Violence against the person rose from 91,756 to
118,417 - the detection rate was 79%.
Burglaries were down 3% at 750,218. The clear-up rate was 31%.
Recorded sexual offences rose by 13% to 21,343. The clear-up
rate was 79%.
More than half recorded crime, as in the past, fell into the
category theft and handling stolen property. The total for the
year was 1,659,108 an increase of 4%, 36% cleared-up.
CRIMINAL LAW
The HMI report notes the trials of tape recording interviews
carried out in 5 force areas. It observes that it has been
beneficial `particularly for the police'. There have been
fewer challenges to police evidence and more admissions and
confessions have been obtained. It says that high costs can be
mitigated by not providing transcripts of the taped interview
but by the officer providing a written summary of the
interview.
The report says that the HMI sees the Code of Practice for stop
and searches as over-restrictive and inhibiting officers from
exercising their judgement. The Code is now being reviewed.
The HMI supports the possibility of the removal of the right to
silence, whereby attention could be drawn at a trial to `any
defence produced during a trial which could have been, but was
not mentioned to the police during their interview with the
defendant'.
DEATHS IN CUSTODY
26 people died while in police custody(exc.Met).
POLICE VEHICLES ACCIDENTS
In 1987 there were 279 accidents involving police vehicles
which resulted in death or serious injury, 16 civilians and 8
police officers were killed, and 152 civilians and 141 police
officers seriously injured(exc.Met). The Met said that in 1987
8 members of the public died in accidents involving police
vehicles.(Times 30.6.88)
POLICE NATIONAL COMPUTER
Work has begun on PNC2. It has not been decided yet whether
this will be linked to the Government Data Network.
The present PNC now hold 60 million records. In September 1986
access was given to the British Transport Police.
PUBLIC ORDER
The report notes that `there was comparatively little unrest in
inner city areas in 1987'. However, it notes that:
`The underlying tension in some areas is manifested all
too often in violent attacks on the police, incidents of
resisting arrest, and attempts by crowds to free those
taken lawfully into custody'.
In 1987 there were 4 orders under Section 13 of the 1986 Public
Order Act prohibiting marches and demonstrations. One was made
in 1986.
The number of Special Branch officers is `about 700'. Their
work as defined in Home office guidelines cover gathering
information about `threats to public order, espionage, acts of
sabotage and the actions of subversive organisations and
individuals'.
COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINE
In 1987 there were 13,285 complaints made. The cases completed
were 13,432 involving 22,696 complaints. The number
substantiated was 819, 3.6%, and the number withdrawn or not
proceeded with was 8,693, 38.3%. Outside of London fewer
complaints were withdrawn and more substantiated.
75 officers were convicted of criminal offences
(exc.driving/traffic), with 22 being sent to prison.
53 were dismissed or required to resign, and in addition 20
officers resigned before disciplinary proceedings were
complete, and 30 resigned-while suspended. A total of 93
officers in 1987.