Fast track policemen

Police minister Nick Herbert has come up with the most hairbrained idea of the year so far - and I reckon it will take some beating...

Apparently, the idea of making all new recruits join at the lowest rank of constable is no longer "fit for purpose". The daft bugger told a national conference: "The service needs to be open, more representative and diverse. It needs to attract the brightest and the best."

At the moment, all coppers undergo the same basic training and spend a year as a probationer or beat copper. In other words, they learn the realities of the job by starting on the lowest rung of the ladder. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) opposes a change and says there is already an accelerated promotion scheme which can fast-track graduates and others with experience outside the police.

Many years ago - more than I care to remember in fact - I was interested in joining the fraud squad. I was told that I would have to undergo basic training and enter as a constable, but it was made clear to me that I would soon gain promotion in view of my professional qualifications. There was no question of avoiding the basics. It was made very clear to me that I would have to start at the bottom - and I felt this was as it should be!

Commerce in this country started to go down the toilet when managers were brought into the organisation with theoretical qualifications but no experience of either management or the basics of the business. If we do this to the police, then the quality of this organisation will also suffer accordingly.

A review of police pay and conditions is due to present it's preliminary findings next month. In the interests of maximising relevent experience, the government appointed not a former senior police office, but Tom Windsor the former rail regulator.

'Nuff said...