PEEL: Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy 2018/19 – group 1 force press releases

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of City of London Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• ‘requires improvement’ at how legitimately it treats the public and its workforce

HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr said:

“City of London Police’s performance continues to improve and this is a better report than last year. But the force has some work to do on legitimacy to provide a consistently good service. The force is good at preventing and investigating crime. It works effectively with partners to identify and protect vulnerable people.

“The force understands demand well. It continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. But the force has more to do to assure itself that it has the capacity and capability to root out corruption.

“Also, the force should make sure it has the necessary systems in place to reassure the public that it carries out stop and searches legitimately. I am encouraged by the progress that City of London Police has made. I expect an even stronger performance over the coming year.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Cumbria Constabulary. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Cumbria Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:

“I am pleased with Cumbria Constabulary’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The constabulary understands its communities. It is good at preventing and investigating crime. It has a clear focus on protecting vulnerable people. Since our last inspection, it has further improved how it supports people in need.

“The constabulary understands well the current demand for its services. It uses this to inform its financial and workforce plans to meet future needs. There is a constabulary-wide culture of continuous improvement. Senior leaders make sure that the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. I am pleased that the workforce is using body-worn video better during its interactions with the public.

“Overall, I commend Cumbria Constabulary for sustaining its positive performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well-equipped for this to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Dyfed-Powys Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Dyfed-Powys Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• ‘requires improvement’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• ‘requires improvement’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:

“I have concerns about Dyfed-Powys Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force is good at investigating crime. But it needs to improve how it prevents crime and anti-social behaviour. The neighbourhood policing service it provides to the public is inconsistent.

“The force is good at understanding and identifying vulnerability. But I am concerned that officers do not always complete a risk assessment when they respond to reports of domestic abuse. This means that the force may not be adequately protecting vulnerable people.

“The force has improved some of its crime-recording processes but has more work to do. The force also needs to understand its current and future demand better. This should help it develop clear plans to make sure it uses its resources efficiently.

“I am disappointed to see limited progress since last year in how the force makes sure it treats its workforce fairly. It also has more to do to assure itself that it has the capacity and capability to root out corruption.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Durham Constabulary In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Durham Constabulary:

• is ‘outstanding’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘outstanding’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:

“I congratulate Durham Constabulary on its excellent performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The constabulary is outstanding at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour and at tackling serious and organised crime. It investigates crime well. It also works effectively with other agencies to identify and protect vulnerable people.

“The constabulary has a comprehensive understanding of demand. It has used this to develop robust financial and workforce plans to make sure it uses its resources efficiently. I am particularly pleased with its approach to investment and use of technology in its future plans.

“Senior leaders make sure that the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. The constabulary promotes the standards of professional behaviour it expects. This is well understood by the workforce. Overall, I congratulate Durham Constabulary for its excellent performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well equipped for this to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Essex Police In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Essex Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said:

“I am pleased with the performance of Essex Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. It is good at investigating crime and has continued to improve how it identifies and protects vulnerable people. It does this through more effective joint working with partners and greater use of protective powers.

“Essex Police is ambitious in its planning for the future and wants to be at the forefront of innovative practice. The force understands its demand well. It uses this information to develop robust financial and workforce plans to make sure it uses its resources as efficiently as possible.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. But it has more to do to assure itself that it has the capacity and capability to root out corruption.

“Overall, I commend Essex Police for sustaining its positive performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well equipped for this to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Gloucestershire Constabulary. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Gloucestershire Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:

“I am pleased with most aspects of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. But it needs to improve in some areas to give a consistently good service.

“The force is good at preventing and investigating most types of crime. It works effectively with partners to identify and protect vulnerable people. However, while the force has made progress in relation to serious and organised crime, it must do more to increase its understanding of it and target its resources where harm is most likely.

“The force understands its demand well. It uses this information to develop financial and workforce plans for the future.

“Senior leaders support the workforce. They encourage a culture of continuous learning and ethical behaviour. Overall, I commend Gloucestershire Constabulary for the progress it has made over the past year. This gives a good foundation for continuing improvement in the year ahead.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Greater Manchester Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors found that Greater Manchester Police:

• ‘requires improvement’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• ‘requires improvement’ in operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:

“I am satisfied with some of Greater Manchester Police’s performance. But in some areas the force needs to make improvements. The force needs to improve how it prevents crime and anti-social behaviour. It needs to assure itself it has the capability and capacity to provide a consistent, effective neighbourhood policing service.

“The force is very good at dealing with serious and organised crime. But it needs to improve the quality and supervision of investigations into less serious crime. Following our last inspection, I was concerned that the force was inconsistent in how it responded to vulnerable people. I am disappointed that it hasn’t fully addressed this. I remain concerned that the force may not be adequately protecting people at risk.

“The force needs to improve how it understands current and future demand. This should help it develop clear plans to make sure it uses its resources effectively. I am reassured that the force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well.

“My overall assessment is that Greater Manchester Police’s performance has declined since our last inspection.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Humberside Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Humberside Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:

“I am pleased with Humberside Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. In particular, I note the improvements the force has made since 2017 in its efficiency and effectiveness.

“Since our last inspection the force has improved how it investigates crimes. It has also developed better ways to make sure it identifies and protects vulnerable people. The force has improved some of its crime-recording processes but has more work to do.

“The force understands the demand for its services much better than it did previously. It has used this information to develop strong financial and workforce plans for the future. This includes significantly increasing its number of police officers.

“I am pleased to see that the force consults widely with its communities to better understand their concerns. Senior leaders support the workforce. They encourage a culture of continuous learning and ethical behaviour. Overall, I commend Humberside Police for the progress it has made over the past year. This gives a good foundation for continuing improvement in the year ahead.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Kent Police In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Kent Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘outstanding’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘outstanding’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said:

“I congratulate Kent Police on its excellent performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, and it investigates crime well. It works effectively with other agencies to identify and protect vulnerable people. I am particularly pleased with the force’s performance in recording crime. It has substantially improved its crime-recording accuracy since our 2017 inspection.

“Kent Police is ambitious in its planning for the future and wants to be at the forefront of innovative practice. I am very impressed with its understanding of changing demand and how it links this to its future financial planning and workforce development.

“Senior leaders make sure that the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. The force continues to be outstanding in this area. It clearly promotes the standards of professional behaviour it expects. This is well understood by the workforce. Overall, I congratulate Kent Police for its excellent performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well-equipped for this to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Leicestershire Police In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Leicestershire Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said:

“I am pleased with Leicestershire Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. Since our last inspection the force has improved how it handles victims’ reports of crime. It now receives and investigates these better. It has continued to improve the services and support it gives vulnerable people, particularly to children, victims of domestic abuse, and, people with mental ill-health. The force also has very good skills and technology to tackle cyber-crime.

“The complexity and scale of current and future demand is well understood by senior leaders. The force has made changes to help it operate more efficiently. This includes reorganising officers to better meet demand. It has sustainable financial plans in place and can afford to increase its workforce.

“I am pleased to see that the force is consulting widely with its communities to better understand their concerns. Senior leaders care about the workforce while encouraging a culture of continuous learning and ethical behaviour. Overall I commend Leicestershire Police for sustaining its positive performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well-equipped for this to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Norfolk Constabulary. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Norfolk Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘outstanding’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said:

“I congratulate Norfolk Constabulary on its excellent performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force understands its communities and tackles anti-social behaviour well. It works closely with partners to ensure it safeguards victims. But it needs to improve the way it investigates crimes through better training and more effective supervision.

“I am particularly pleased with the way in which Norfolk Constabulary plans for the future. The force has invested significantly in a range of new technology. This includes automatic number plate recognition, which it is using to target offenders and the organised crime threat from the growth of county lines networks. It also has an advanced telephony system which enables the control room to prioritise 101 calls based on harm and risk. This allows the force to concentrate more on vulnerable callers most in need of policing services. The force has a detailed understanding of changing demand and links this to its future financial planning and workforce development. At the time of our inspection, the force had recently changed its local policing model. I will be keeping the effects of this change under review.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. However, I am concerned that it does not consistently comply with legislation when dealing with detainees in custody. It needs to strengthen governance of its use of force in these facilities. I am assured that the force has clear plans in place to address this.

“Overall, I commend Norfolk Constabulary for the progress it has made over the past year. I am confident it is well-equipped for its strong performance to continue.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Nottinghamshire Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors judged that Nottinghamshire Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• ‘requires improvement’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said:

“I am satisfied with most aspects of Nottinghamshire Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. However, the force needs to continue to improve its efficiency in order to provide a consistently good service.

“The force investigates crime well. I am particularly pleased that it has improved how it identifies and responds to vulnerable people and works effectively with other agencies to protect them.

“The force’s understanding of its demand is improving. I am encouraged that this will allow the force to plan for the future more clearly, to make sure it uses its resources as efficiently as possible. But I have some concerns about the force’s decision to withdraw from collaborations with other forces in the region. This may limit its ability to achieve maximum efficiency.

“Senior leaders continue to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of behaviour well. But the force needs to improve how it deals with potential unfairness at work and how it looks after its workforce.

“I am encouraged by the progress that Nottinghamshire Police has made over the past year. I am confident that the force will continue to make improvements in the year ahead.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Wiltshire Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors found that Wiltshire Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:

“I am pleased with most aspects of Wiltshire Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. But it needs to improve its response to serious and organised crime, although extraordinary circumstances the force faced over the past year may have had an impact on its ability to demonstrate more consistent performance. The force is good at preventing and investigating most types of crime. But while it understands the threat from serious and organised crime, it needs to adopt a more structured approach to tackling it. The force works effectively with other organisations to identify and protect vulnerable people.

“The force understands its demand well. It uses this information to develop financial and workforce plans for the future. Senior leaders ensure that the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. The force continues to promote well the standards of professional behaviour it expects. I am encouraged by Wiltshire Police’s progress. I look forward to seeing more improvements over the coming year.”

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of West Midlands Police. In 2018/19, we adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to our existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. We now assess forces against every part of our IPA programme every year.

Inspectors found that West Midlands Police:

• is ‘good’ at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
• is ‘good’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:

“I am pleased with most aspects of West Midlands Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. I am particularly pleased with its efficiency planning. But it needs to make improvements in its effectiveness to provide a consistently good service.

“The force is good at investigating crime and tackling serious and organised crime. However, the force needs to improve how it protects vulnerable people. It needs to be more consistent in the way it assesses the risk and responds to vulnerable people.

“I remain concerned about the force’s crime recording. Although it has improved since our last inspection, the force needs to do much more. I also remain concerned about how the force responds to its current demand. That said, the force has a comprehensive understanding of its future demand. It is using this detailed knowledge to inform its future financial planning and workforce development, aspects of which are impressive.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. However, the extent of the backlog for staff vetting is a cause for concern. Overall, I commend West Midlands Police for the progress it has made over the past year. This gives a good foundation for continuing improvement in the year ahead.”