Priti Patel is drawing up league tables ranking police forces on their success in cutting serious crime in a move that chief constables warned was a return to targets.
Police chiefs have been told they will be measured on six crime types including homicide, serious violence and cybercrime. The Home Office will compare their performance against national benchmarks in what it said was a “relentless focus on cutting crime”.
The scheme will add to concerns that the home secretary is encroaching on operational independence. Some chiefs have complained she went too far when she demanded forces increase enforcement of protests and coronavirus restrictions.
The new system of “national crime and policing measures” was described by senior officers as a return to the culture of targets
