Sir, You report that the Chief Constable of the West Midlands is introducing ad hoc penalties administered by local beat constables in an effort to save police time and improve public satisfaction with his force (“Return to Dixon of Dock Green culture as crimes dealt with by a ‘clip round ear’,” Nov 23). Chris Sims is to be congratulated on correctly diagnosing the root of his problems: that is, the difficulty in establishing priorities between the two principal tasks of the police — on the one hand, to maintain peace and good order and prevent crime on the streets, and on the other, to investigate, detect, and ensure the prosecution of, criminal offenders.

What he does not seem to recognise is that the two tasks are not compatible in the practice of policing. Resources devoted to the one will detract from achievement of the other, and no individual officer can effectively pursue both objectives at the same time. The slightest acquaintance with policing will reveal two distinct types of police officer: one dressed in plain clothes, generally working in an office and engaged in the investigation of reported crime in order to detect and arrest criminal offenders, the other dressed in uniform, patrolling on foot or by vehicle to prevent crime, keep the peace and protect the public from harm. Unfortunately, the reality now is that both groups are likely to be found vainly trying to do both jobs at once while simultaneously being criticised for achieving neither — a situation that allows and encourages individual officers and their managers to opt for their preferred, and softer, option of retreating from contact with the public in order to spend their time filling in forms for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Radical action is indeed needed to resolve this situation and to restore the prevention and deterrence of crime, and the protection of the public, to its proper place in policing. But to load even more administrative tasks on an already depleted and rapidly disappearing uniformed patrolling force is to go in the wrong direction.

Lawrence T. Roach
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police Service, 1990-96

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