Member

A review should also look at the IT and AI systems, linking police to the courts and the CPS and to other enforcement bodies. The truth is, as was mentioned in Committee by the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley, that whenever you talk to police officers, one of the most voluble frustrations they voice is the ever-growing regime of paperwork and bureaucracy. There is huge scope for savings and simplification, given the right direction from the Minister. The Wild West of street crime is here today, but, as the Government have made clear, their reforms will take years. They will also increase paperwork, not decrease it; for example, requiring a licence to practise for every police constable. This will lead to a mushrooming of accreditation and training paperwork, or online filing linked to the proposed well-being and development checks and career pathways. This is all the more reason for our proposed review of paperwork and bureaucracy.