IEA Director General John Blundell argued that the result of a “zero tolerance” approach to crime is “a tsunami of low-grade intelligence that floods in as soon as you have officers interacting with citizens.”

John added: “The average beat officer is outdoors well under 20% of the shift, usually in the company of another officer discussing pensions, holidays, partners and superior officers. Just doubling that amount of time and making all officers patrol alone (unless extraordinary circumstances dictate otherwise) would quadruple their presence.”