The chief constable of Sussex has defended the increasing emphasis on dealing with victims of crime and the public by email and internet.
Chief Constable Giles York spoke out after an interview in the Mail on Sunday, published yesterday (Sunday 10 September).
The newspaper said: “A police chief has sparked anger by claiming that there is no point in his overstretched officers visiting many victims of crime.
“Instead, Giles York, the chief constable of Sussex, said it is more ‘convenient’ for police to interact with the public by phone or online.
“He added that victims can further help investigations by emailing crime scene images and composing their own witness statements.
“In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr York also defended response times for the 101 non-emergency police number, saying seven minutes ‘isn’t long’ for crime victims to have to wait on the line.
“But his comments have angered campaigners who say it is further evidence of police becoming increasingly remote from the public.”
Mr York, the National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesman for digitisation, said that just as no one now expects doctors to make home calls, victims of minor offences should no longer expect police to come to their houses even if they want them to, the newspaper said.
He had to consider “what’s the purpose of us going there”.
The newspaper quoted Mr York as saying: “If it’s just to because the individual wants to see us, is that really the best use of policing time and investigation time?
“If your children are ill, you might quite like the GP to visit you in your house. But it wouldn’t even cross your mind now, to think to call a GP to visit your house.
“Someone coming around isn’t going to add any value to your investigation and actually that person’s time is better spent trying to find the offender than reassuring you.”
According to the newspaper, he said that police would still visit those who had suffered serious crimes such as burglaries but he claimed that many people would prefer to deal with police online rather than waiting for a marked car to turn up.
The newspaper quoted Mr York as saying: “When I look at the lives my children lead, going shopping is a rarity, going out and meeting in the real world is sometimes a rarity.
“It can often be an awful lot more convenient for people to have a service delivered by email or by text than having the commitment of a face-to-face meeting.”
Today Mr York issued a statement through Sussex Police, saying: “People can be assured we are working smarter to keep them safe and feeling safe in Sussex.
Typical out of touch, inward looking and not focused on who he actually works for.
Visiting victims of crime is about collecting evidence and showing that the State cares – His approach reinforces the believe that the Statr doe not.