A study carried out in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police has recommended that officers have 20 minutes a week to reflect on the "tensions" of their job. Research by the RSA think tank found that police are "rarely given the chance to reflect on the tensions and dilemmas that stem from their role, and the operational and personal challenges that relate to the psychological underpinnings of their behaviour." But there is, in fact, a perfect solution to this problem. What better way to reflect than to go on a nice long walk? We learnt at the weekend that South Yorkshire Police want to remove all their warranted constables from the beat and replace them with community support officers. Constables would be assigned to "taskable teams" where they would spend their time fretting about their role in society. Let them stay on the beat. It will do them a power of good.
