The thin blue direct line

David Blunkett has announced changes to the way Britain is policed. But is it wise for the police to treat the public as customers?

While much of the discussion has focused on the idea of getting 'bobbies on the beat', the underlying premise of the new proposals is to change the nature of the relationship between police and public. Instead of a 'police force', imposing legal sanction on the public as necessary and commanding respect, there has been a steady trend over a number of years towards the idea of a 'police service' who not only have to catch criminals but answer the phone promptly and stick to their appointments.

'We won't put up with the situation where people cannot get through [to call centres], they are frustrated when they do, where people have not been trained to prioritise, where they do not actually give people a clear idea of what's going to take place,' said Blunkett. This only reveals how little legitimacy the police and government feel they have now. The police are widely seen to have failed in their stated purpose - to protect the public and private property. Unable to lay down the law, the authorities are now trying to connect with us, as if acknowledging our hardships and being seen to try their best is an adequate substitute for tackling crime. The police are thus reinventing themselves as just another service industry.

When the Automobile Association (AA) advertised itself as 'the fourth emergency service', it caused considerable controversy. But now it's the police advertising themselves as 'little different from the AA'.

Blunkett unveils policing plans, BBC News, 9 November 2004