Ministers have been warned that police chiefs have “lost control of many of our towns and cities” as a crisis of confidence sweeps the country.
A shocking poll has revealed that almost half of people are unsure that officers will show up to properly investigate a burglary or car theft.
This was even higher among those over 65, with 54% saying they were not confident.
Nearly one in ten say they have put off calling 999 because they couldn’t trust the response.
David Spencer, head of crime and justice at Policy Exchange, told the Daily Express: “The police have lost control of many of our towns and cities.
“Ministers and police chiefs must understand that this is part of the definition of a failed state. This is not just about more money. This is about a different way of policing and actually sending criminals to prison.
“The endless money that passes by those responsible is pathetic. History will not judge those responsible kindly unless there is a major change in the way our police forces, courts and prisons operate.
‘When will they realize it? Do they even care?”
The shocking poll, published by the Liberal Democrats, found that 46% of adults have no confidence that the police would turn up and investigate if their home was broken into.
And one in two (49%) said they wouldn’t be confident the police would show up and properly investigate if they were the victim of a car theft.
Two in five (41%) said they would not feel confident if they experienced an assault on the street.
The poll also found that Britons delay calling the police, even when they should, due to a lack of trust. 8% say they did not call 911 even though it was necessary.
Of these, one in four (23%) said this was because they thought it would take too long for the police to arrive.
More than a third (36%) did not call the police because they thought the police would not have the time or resources to take the incident seriously.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said: “These findings are outrageous – but as unsolved crime rates remain sky-high it is difficult to find them shocking.
“This crisis of confidence is a direct result of years of neglect and mismanagement by the previous Conservative government.
“They have decimated police on the front lines and made our communities pay the price.
“People deserve to have the confidence that if they are the victim of a crime, the police will show up and investigate properly.
“The new government must take urgent action to restore public confidence in the police.
“That requires a return to good community policing – keeping our communities safe and reducing crime with more bobbies on the beat.”
Former Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye said: “Unfortunately, we are seeing a situation where the level of demand has far exceeded the availability of resources, despite the increase in the number of officers since 2019. However, the impact of the previous cuts is still years away always palpable.
“This is why it is imperative that the current government continues to build on the growth in officer numbers, by pursuing retention, expanding police workforce capacity and ensuring that the police are fully committed to concentrates real crimes.”
Chief Paul Sanford, who leads police chiefs on finances, said there is an obsession with the number of officers, even though it would often be more effective to have fewer officers supported by better technology.
Sanford, chief constable of the Norfolk Constabulary, said the force cannot afford new technology that could help them solve crimes faster and better serve victims.
The police want an extra £3 billion to strengthen police coffers.
Chief Sanford told the Guardian: “I don’t think the number of police officers should be the benchmark against which you measure police effectiveness.
“Our current approach is similar to running a supermarket and putting more people on the shop floor, but with no one in the warehouse and with better software to ensure goods are delivered on time.
“And that is what we do within the police. We are in the middle of a digital revolution. Yet the police are still doing the equivalent of putting more farmers on the land.”
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “We remain firmly committed to our attendance policy as this is an important first step in improving detection rates and bringing more offenders to justice.
“Burglary is an incredibly invasive crime that we know has a significant impact on victims. This is why police forces across England and Wales implemented a new attendance policy in March 2023 to ensure police attend every reported home burglary.
“Not every burglary report is the same and like any effective emergency service, police control rooms in England and Wales need to assess the threat, harm and risk associated with every call they receive to ensure attendance is effectively prioritized.
“The focus of initial attendance at home burglaries is to gather the best evidence and support victims of crime, but there are cases where an immediate response is not possible due to resources or appropriate if the resident is away or does not want us be present.
“The NPCC has worked closely with the College of Policing to develop and produce new best practice guidance informed by police officers and staff across the UK, as well as with a range of partners who provide a comprehensive toolkit covering all aspects of initial presence and research.”