Member

This is not a marginal issue. Forces spend around £400 million to £500 million each year on training, yet there has been no independent scrutiny of its quality or effectiveness since 2018, which, in my opinion, is an absolute disgrace. Nor is there clarity on whether programmes are evaluated to show they work. The quality of training is fundamental to public confidence. Around one-third of officers have less than five years’ service—the most inexperienced workforce in decades. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of all recorded crimes go unsolved, and fewer than one in 10 violent or sexual offences results in a charge. The national charge rate has fallen to 6%, down from 16% a decade ago.