A controversial police initiative hailed as a revolutionary approach to crime prevention has been exposed as a "farcical" waste of resources that sees officers chasing non-existent suspects while serious criminals evade justice.
The Home Office-backed 'One-to-One' scheme, which cost taxpayers millions to implement, requires police forces to conduct repeated visits to addresses where minor offences have occurred - even when there's no suspect to speak with and no realistic prospect of solving the crime.
The Staggering Scale of Waste
Freedom of Information requests reveal the shocking extent of this bureaucratic nightmare. One force alone conducted over 17,000 of these pointless visits in a single year, while another logged nearly 10,000 - representing thousands of hours that could have been spent tackling actual crime.
"This is policing by spreadsheet, not common sense," says David Barrett, the investigative journalist who uncovered the scandal. "Officers are being forced to go through the motions while the public wonders why nobody responds to their emergency calls."
Real-World Consequences
The human cost of this misguided policy is becoming increasingly apparent:
- Victims of serious crimes waiting hours for police response
- Officers tied up in paperwork instead of patrol duties
- Growing public distrust in police effectiveness
- Career criminals operating with near-impunity
One officer, speaking anonymously, revealed the frustration within the ranks: "We're ticking boxes while the streets burn. The public would be horrified if they knew how much time we waste on these meaningless visits."
A System in Crisis
The scheme's failure highlights deeper problems within police management and Home Office oversight. Rather than empowering officers to use their discretion and experience, the system prioritises meeting arbitrary targets over delivering actual results.
With violent crime rates rising and public confidence falling, critics argue it's time to scrap this discredited approach and return to common-sense policing that puts victims first and makes efficient use of limited resources.
