Police review chief says ‘Betamax police’ stuck in the past

Chair of forthcoming strategic review says force must modernise to tackle blockchain-era criminals

A crisis of confidence in policing" can only be put right through fundamental reform or risk the end of policing by consent, the head of a review of the police service will warn on Tuesday.

Sir Michael Barber, the chair of the Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales, will say that a Betamax police force" is unsuccessfully pursuing blockchain-enabled criminals" as he urges modernisation of crime-fighting technology and new training for officers.