PLANS to reintroduce league tables into policing have been challenged by the police federation.

According to national headlines, Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to introduce league tables which would rank police forces on their success in tackling serious crime like homicide, serious violence and cybercrime.

Cumbria Police Federation chairman Paul Williams said: “League tables in policing do not work.

“They never did and this would only encourage a culture of policing that would force officers to apply methods that could contradict the very core of British policing, which is policing by consent.

“Every situation we encounter can be unique and different and care needs to be taken before applying a box ticking culture that does not fit in any way with keeping communities safe. Performance of constabularies is already closely monitored and data around how we police is collated and used to continue learning and adapting to the continued needs of communities.”

He said: “Policing comes in many forms and has many skill sets and also crime differs across the 43 forces. “Re-introducing practice which has been tried and did not work is a waste of time and resources.”

The Times first reported on the plan, revealing statements made by the Police Minister Kit Malthouse in a letter. The police minister said that measures would provide “national accountability and collective responsibility”

National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales John Apter, said: “Scrutiny and accountability are already a large part of policing, so these proposals for league tables would risk a return to a very damaging and target-driven culture.

“Mechanisms for holding individuals and forces to account are in place, and we are already amongst the most scrutinised professionals in the world.

“My message to Government would be to stop and think before returning to the mistakes of their predecessors. Reintroducing targets in policing would be a damaging and retrograde step. In previous years when they have been used we have seen forces focus on targets to the exclusion of other issues. This is not good for the public and certainly no good for the victims of crime.”