§ 52. Mr. William Powellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the contribution which the tape-recording of interviews by the police can make to improving police-community relations.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe fact that an interview is tape-recorded serves both as an additional stimulus to the interviewing officer to conduct it in a proper and effective manner, and as a safeguard against allegations that evidence has been obtained by improper means or has been falsified. Tape recording can thereby make a significant contribution both to police effectiveness and to improving relations between the police and the community they serve.
§ 62. Mr. Maplesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken by the Government and police forces in England and Wales to strengthen relations between the police and the community since the Scarman Report.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe police in England and Wales have made great efforts to review and, as necessary, to adapt their procedures and approach in the light of Lord Scarman's recommendations. This has included a growing emphasis on community policing and the increased use of foot patrols. Most police forces have specifically designated community constables working under the guidance of a specialist community liaison department. Improved training at all levels in community and race relations aspects of policing skills has been introduced and strenuous efforts are being made to recruit more police officers from the minority communities.
The thrust of Government policy has been to encourage these initiatives, and to develop policies designed to enhance public confidence in the police. A major objective of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was, while providing the police with the powers they need to deal with crime, to ensure the open and accountable use of powers. The new independent Police Complaints Authority has been set up to provide reassurance that complaints against the police will be handled rigorously and impartially. The development of local consultative arrangements, for which the 1984 Act also provides, is making an important further contribution to the objective of developing public trust; in common with crime prevention initiatives like neighbourhood watch, such arrangements enable the police to be more responsive to the community's needs.
The way suspects are treated within the police station is an issue which can have a significant impact upon general public perceptions of the police: in addition to the safeguards for suspects contained in the codes of practice made under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, therefore, the Government are encouraging the development of schemes for the tape recording of police interviews, and the establishment of panels of lay visitors who can see for themselves how suspects are treated.
191WChief officers of police continue to be firmly committed to strengthening relations with the communities they serve and in this endeavour they have my fullest support.