BORIS Johnson will seek to shift the focus on to tackling crime when he re-emerges from isolation to counter criticism over the “pingdemic” and police anger at Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The Prime Minister is expected to unveil his new “beating crime plan” for England tomorrow after leaving quarantine at his Chequers country retreat following a coronavirus contact.
As he began his third year in No 10, Johnson vowed to ensure that every victim of crime has “a named officer to call – someone who is immediately on your side”.
His Government has faced anger over the Covid-19 rules causing staff shortages as infections soar during his time in isolation over contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
Patel received an extraordinary rebuke from the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and-file officers.
The body said it no longer has confidence in the Home Secretary after describing a bitterly opposed pay freeze as “the final straw”.
Johnson, writing in the Sunday Express, said: “We need now to redouble our efforts, to continue to put more police out on the street, and to back them all the way.”
He also vowed to introduce reforms, as well as measures including publishing league tables for 101 and 999 call answering times, putting more police into dealing with “the tiny minority of truant kids”, and intensifying efforts against county lines drug gangs.
But Ken Marsh, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation representing rank-and-file officers in London, criticised the “named officer” plan as unworkable.
He said: “That’s a gimmick because it’s not practical.
“If that officer is on a shift pattern or off sick or on holiday, that just puts added pressure on that officer. It doesn’t work in that way – you can’t start singularly naming officers because by the sheer nature of their work ... if they’re not at work, what happens then?”
Marsh also criticised the Prime Minister’s suggestion he backs police “all the way”. “Well he’s not backing us all the way is he, he’s treating us in a derisory way,” he said, raising concerns over police treatment in the pandemic.
“And what do we get at the end of it? As usual, absolutely nothing.
“His words are hollow and my colleagues are fed up with it now.”
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