The Home Secretary on Wednesday set out the tough decisions that need to be taken to reform the police service, save police jobs and cut crime, in a speech at Central Hall in London.
Her speech to the policing representatives was specifically directed at driving out needless bureaucracy, engaging the public on policing in their community and nationally tackling organized crime.
Vigilance learnt that the Home Secretary made it clear that the aim was to meet the challenge of police reform at the same time as meeting the challenge of reducing police spending, while protecting and improving police services.
According to Mrs May “Nobody is pretending that these decisions are easy. But they are necessary to save police jobs and deliver our plan to cut crime. And nobody doubts that they will be challenging to deliver. But the police always has been and always will be a "can do" service – and I know that they have the sense of duty and determination to deliver the changes we need to make.”
Buttressing her claims, she added: “They are changes that we will have to make together. The result will be a police force with its powers enhanced, its discretion restored, its professionalism respected, flexible to deliver on the frontline – and free to cut crime.”
***Full text of Theresa May’s speech to the Police will be published on Monday.