In making this first PEEL Assessment of Hertfordshire Constabulary I have taken into account the challenges to policing a densely populated county to the north of London.
Hertfordshire is a relatively prosperous county with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. The standard of living is mostly high, unemployment is low and residents are generally healthy, well educated and well paid. However there are some areas of relative deprivation, disadvantage and social exclusion.
I have been impressed that Hertfordshire Constabulary has invested in crime prevention initiatives which have had a positive effect in terms of keeping levels of crime down and protecting the public from harm. The force is focused on the needs of victims, and ensures that the quality of victim contact is largely consistent. The victim satisfaction rate in Hertfordshire is higher than England and Wales as a whole. The investigation of crime is of a good standard and the force works well with partners, such as local council and the probation services, to tackle prolific burglars.
I am encouraged that anti-social behaviour is a priority for the force and is well integrated within daily activity in neighbourhood teams. Victims of anti-social behaviour are carefully assessed so that they can receive an appropriate service from the police.
I have also been impressed with the well-established joint working arrangements with Bedfordshire Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The force is very well placed to be able to continue to provide an effective service to the public while reducing its costs further. The force is working to improve understanding of the demand it faces, and plans to manage this demand through its collaboration with the other forces.
Despite these positives I have serious concerns about the force’s approach to crime-recording, which is not as accurate as it should be.
I also had concerns about the service provided to some domestic abuse victims – in particular, the disjointed approach the force had to victims assessed as being at some risk of harm. However, I am encouraged by the progress made by the force in response to our initial inspection.
Our intention is to examine leadership specifically as part of future PEEL Assessments, once criteria have been established. This will allow us to take account of the College of Policing review of leadership that is currently underway.
Over the past 12 months, there have been a number of inspections made of Hertfordshire Constabulary that have suggested a number of recurrent issues, including the need for better supervision and training of staff and officers.
I will be particularly interested to see how the force responds to the areas HMIC has identified for improvement over the next 12 months. In particular, I will be monitoring how successful the force is in improving the accuracy of its crime-recording practices.
