Frontline police called on the Government to reverse the target-driven culture that has forced them to make “ludicrous” decisions such as arresting a child for throwing cream buns.
The Police Federation annual conference in Blackpool will debate whether judging officers purely on how many arrests, cautions or on-the-spot fines they can deliver is making a mockery of the criminal justice system.
A not untypical story of modern life – but are ‘targets’ really the problem?
Would dropping targets help?
Or do we choose to blame the targets – when it is really poor management in a target driven organisation that is to blame?
How can managers prevent this type of gaming the system and ensure that support progress rather than act as a catalyst to stupidity?
What would you have done as the Officer in Charge – when you saw that arrest on the record books?
What would you have done before hand to ensure that the officer would have thought twice before adding this to their ‘portfolio of success’.
Happy to put up a small prize for the most useful response!