Accounts and Accountability

A lot of police blogs talk about Accountability. This phrase is often mis-translated to suggest that we think the public should have a say over how their local police force is run. This - of course - would be a disaster.

In fact, it is widely accepted that Accountability really refers to police chiefs being accountable to the Home Office. The Home Office is run by people who have never been burgled, do not live on streets with the likes of Adam Swellings, and who think groceries cost £20/week. This enables them to be objective about crime and to fully understand the need for "performance analyses" and "strategic priorities".

When I first read that patients are to have a say in how their local NHS services are run, I thought someone had taken Accountability to a ludicrous extreme. Fortunately, I am pleased to discover that patients will come to their conclusion based on a series of indicators decided by the government, thereby keeping the ultimate rating safely in the hands of the people who know best. That way, hospitals based in the most deprived areas, with the worst health records, who are swamped with the sick and injured and who can't afford to pay enough staff to treat them, can get the cut in funding they deserve.

I soon hope to see Mops* able to rate their local police forces based on ratings handed out by the Home Office. If they feel they are getting a poor service, they should soon see a reduction in the funding of the force that has let them down. This will solve the problem overnight, as police forces will soon realise that they should put all their efforts and budget into gaining a good rating according to these guidelines, rather than wasting it all fighting crime.

*Mops = Members of the Public
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