Police report concludes officers should be polite Researchers then tracked their performance in the real world and found members of the public were happier with the service they received from officers who had undergone the training than with those who had not. The 20-page report is one of the first pieces of research to emerge from the College of Policing which was launched earlier this year to improve training and development for police across England and Wales. Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers" Alliance said: "It's deeply worrying that so much time and taxpayers" money was spent on a programme which ought to have been totally surplus to requirements. Of course victims of crime expect a high quality of support from police officers, but it's shocking that it was deemed necessary to teach them the most basic of interpersonal skills, which ought to be a prerequisite for anyone joining the police. It's important that those joining up are properly assessed for their suitability, so that taxpayers are not left footing expensive bills for these kinds of classes. A College of Policing spokesman said he was unable to calculate the cost of the study. However, it is thought to run into tens of thousands of pounds when officers" time is taken into account. The report said police should "explore the value of introducing yourself by name and using the victim's name" as well as "building empathy with a victim by getting the officer to recognise the victims" emotional state." It also said police should use "supportive language acknowledging the victim's feelings, making it clear they are being listened to (eg "I understand," "I can help you") ." The report added: "Before leaving an incident, encourage the officer to check with the victim that they have done all they can, and to thank them." In a speech to the Reform think tank last month Mr Green said public faith in policing" had been "undermined" by recent revelations about an alleged police smear camapign against family and friends of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence and the use of dead babies" identities to provide undercover false names. David Hanson, Labour's shadow police minister, accused Mr Green of being "deeply patronising." Garry Shewan, GMP Assistant Chief Constable, said of the new report: "In seeking to increase the satisfaction of victims, we have introduced training for staff which helps them to build empathy and understanding and make the right decision in every interaction. The College of Policing worked with us to evaluate the effectiveness of that training and we are pleased to see that it has had a difference in changing officer attitudes and behaviour as well as victim perceptions of reassurance. Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: "This study demonstrates that the right training can change officer behaviour."