Don't turn police into social workers, says minister

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent

2:30PM GMT 03 Dec 2013

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A report backed by the Labour party risks turning police officers into social workers, a minister has warned.

Damian Green, the Conservative’s policing minister, criticised last week’s independent report by Lord Stevens, the former head of the Metropolitan Police, which recommended setting out the “social mission” of the police.

Lord Stevens, who led the two-year review commissioned by Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said police were “not simply crime fighters” and should have a “civic purpose”.

But Mr Green said: “What most worried me about it was the suggestion that police need to do community work. I want the police to be out there preventing crime and catching criminals, and not acting as community workers.

“What has happened in the past is they have sent too much time chairing liaison committees with local councils and not enough time out on the street stopping criminals.”

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Speaking at a policing conference in central London, Mr Green added: “If we diffuse the focus of what they do then we end up being confused.

“Police officers have an important job to do, and social workers have an important job to do - but they are different jobs.”

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader last week described Lord Stevens’ report as “the first step in setting a new direction for policing in the 21st century”.

Lord Stevens’ inquiry acknowledged criminals are escaping justice and the public now regard the police as “sadly deteriorated”.

He warned that officers are “beating a retreat from the beat” and called for a return to neighbourhood policing and a commitment to set appropriate response times for 999 calls.

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Prince Charles launches youth social action campaign

Prince Charles launches the Step Up To Serve campaign to encourage more young people to volunteer and "enhance their employability" 3:18PM GMT 21 Nov 2013

The Prince of Wales has joined forces with the three main political party leaders and business chiefs to urge youngsters to spend time on social action.

In launching the Step Up To Serve campaign at Buckingham Palace, the prince, Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband are calling on more youngsters to get involved so that participation levels are doubled to more than 50% by 2020.

It is hoped that 1.7 million more young people aged between 10 and 20 years old will be spurred on to make social action - defined as "practical action in the service of others - a habit for life".

This target would add almost 90 million hours of voluntary work per year, worth almost £700 million to the UK economy. In Canada an estimated 58% of young people participate in volunteering, more than half of them giving more than four hours each per month.

Businesses, education institutions, faith groups, youth organisations and voluntary groups across the UK are also backing the campaign.

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