Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said in a report that it is beginning to see examples of the UK’s police forces prioritizing their demand in such a way that "low-priority and less urgent incidents can be left unresolved for long periods."
"Under austerity and under cutbacks, the requirement to prioritize has become more acute in recent years. Often forces are immediately assessing the threat, harm and the vulnerability of the person calling. Sometimes they get that absolutely right … but sometimes they can be misapplied or poorly managed and vulnerability can be missed," inspector Mike Cunningham, who led the inspection, was quoted as saying by The Independent.
The assessment by the HMIC was carried out across England and Wales between April and July 2017. Of the 42 forces inspected, 10 were listed as requiring improvement on efficiency and only two were listed as "outstanding."
Cunningham also said that it was for the first time an inspection had revealed that the British police are under financial stress, but he did not reiterate calls for increased funding.
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According to The Independent, revenue expenditure on policing in the UK will drop six percent from £12.3 billion ($16 billion) in 2017 to £11.6 billion ($15.2 billion) in 2020-21.
Admitting that the financial position is "difficult," the report, however, noted that "it is possible for forces to gain a positive grade in relation to their efficiency."
"Forces need to be more ambitious and innovative in terms of their plans for the future; the problems facing those forces that fail to do so could potentially prove overwhelming," it concluded.
