Norfolk Constabulary is outstanding at reducing crime and preventing offending. The force is good at investigating offending. It is good at tackling anti-social behaviour.
Norfolk remains a low-crime county and victim satisfaction with policing services is also higher here than the average for England and Wales. The police work well with partners to prevent crime and reduce re-offending. Its approach to reducing and preventing offending is outstanding.
Neighbourhood policing remains at the heart of the force’s approach and safer neighbourhood teams understand their local communities’ concerns and priorities. There is a strong culture of preventative policing in Norfolk and despite financial cuts the force has continued to invest in dedicated and visible resources to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhoods.
HMIC found a victim-focused approach to policing at all levels within the force, with a particularly strong emphasis on identifying and protecting the most vulnerable victims.
The force works well to investigate crimes and make sure offenders can be brought to justice effectively. HMIC was impressed by the way the force identifies and responds to emerging threats and risks to the community, with some excellent responses to so called ‘hidden crimes’ such as child online grooming and human trafficking.
Further insights on effectiveness
The domestic abuse inspection found that the public in Norfolk could have confidence that, generally, the police provided a good service to victims of domestic abuse and in doing so, helped to keep them safe. The force has a well-developed and effective response to high-risk victims of domestic abuse (those at high risk of serious harm or murder) and staff worked well with partners. The child protection inspection found that Norfolk had a strong commitment to child protection with a clear set of priorities and plans that support it, and strong leadership.
The crime inspection found that dealing with serious and organised crime was a strategic priority for Norfolk and it had identified a range of organised crime groups which were being tackled proactively. The inspection did find some inconsistency in the management of some of these groups operating in the county.
