PEEL: Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy 2018/19 – group 2 force press releases

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Cheshire 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 found that Cheshire Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 pleased with the performance of Cheshire Constabulary in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The constabulary is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. It is good at investigating crime and has continued to improve through clearer procedures and better supervision. It is aware it needs to improve processes for the examination of digital devices.

“The constabulary identifies vulnerable victims well and works with partners to support them. I am impressed by the significant improvements the constabulary has made to its crime recording processes since our last inspection.

“The constabulary understands its demand well. It is using this information to develop financial and workforce plans for the future. These include increasing the number of officers it has.

“The constabulary continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. Overall, I commend Cheshire Constabulary for sustaining its positive performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well equipped for this to continue.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage risks associated with officers and staff abusing their position for sexual purpose. Cheshire Constabulary has learnt from a high-profile case involving one of its officers. Its work has involved reassuring the public and raising the profile among staff of abuse of position and the importance of reporting ethical issues.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Cleveland 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 Cleveland Police:

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

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:

“Cleveland Police’s performance has declined considerably since our last inspection. The force has been assessed as inadequate in each of the three main areas we looked at in this inspection and we have highlighted to the force six areas which are causes for concern. This is extremely worrying.

“The force doesn’t appropriately prioritise crime prevention. There is a lack of strategic direction, and the force doesn’t allocate enough resources to prevention work. Staff who carry out prevention work lack an understanding of the priorities they should be tackling.

“It is failing to respond appropriately to vulnerable people, including children. It is missing opportunities to safeguard them and exposing them to risk.

“Cleveland Police doesn’t adequately understand the demand it faces. A thorough understanding of demand is required to underpin all strategic planning. This failure means it doesn’t have coherent workforce and financial plans to meet demand and deliver the necessary outcomes for the public.

“Many senior leaders are not consistently demonstrating ethical behaviour. The inappropriate behaviour of senior leaders within Cleveland is so profound that it is affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

“Cleveland Police doesn’t adequately engage with local communities. This lack of engagement means that public expectations don’t sufficiently influence force priorities and changes to the services it provides. The public also has a limited role in scrutinising the force and helping it to improve.

“It doesn’t consistently treat its workforce with fairness and respect and it doesn’t effectively communicate with or engage its workforce; its processes aren’t perceived to be fair and it doesn’t understand its workforce well enough to support them.

“In view of these findings, I have been in regular contact with the Chief Constable. Given the critical improvements that need to be made, the force has been placed into our national oversight process. I will continue to closely monitor the performance of the force and expect to see an effective plan to respond to these significant deficiencies.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. Cleveland Police recognises abuse of position for a sexual purpose as a serious corruption issue. But it needs to improve its links with organisations that support vulnerable people.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Dorset 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 Dorset Police:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Wendy Williams said:

“I am pleased with Dorset Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime.
“The force understands its communities. It is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. It investigates crime well and works well with partner organisations to identify and protect vulnerable people.

“The force has a good understanding of current demands for its services. It is using this knowledge to develop sustainable financial and workforce plans. These include a programme to share support functions like IT operating systems with a neighbouring force. The force plans to use technology to improve public contact in the control room, and mobile technology to help frontline staff.

“Senior leaders ensure that the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote the standards of professional behaviour it expects.

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

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. Inspectors found that Dorset Police could do more to tackle the abuse of position for sexual purpose. The counter-corruption unit does not currently have the capacity to handle intelligence on this type of corruption. Not all staff in specialist investigation teams are aware of it, including those that deal with serious and sexual offenders and their victims. The force is aware of these issues and is acting to improve.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Hertfordshire 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 found that Hertfordshire Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Zoë Billingham said:

“I am pleased with Hertfordshire Constabulary’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force has worked hard to encourage innovative practice, and we saw some excellent examples of how it supports reluctant victims, works with prolific, non-violent offenders, and tackles knife and gang related crime, amongst others.

“Since our last inspection the force has improved how it handles victims’ reports of crime. It has also improved how it identifies and supports vulnerable people, and in particular how it identifies hidden harm

“Senior leaders understand well the complexity and scale of current and future demand. The force has worked to be more efficient. It has reorganised officers and staff to better meet demand. For example, it now has a specialist disclosure team to improve the forces submission of prosecution files to the CPS. Sustainable financial plans are in place, including to increase its officer numbers.

“The force is consulting widely with its communities to better understand their concerns. It continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well.

“Overall, I commend Hertfordshire Constabulary for taking such a positive and self-reflective approach, and sustaining its positive performance over the past year. I am confident that it is well equipped for this to continue.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage risks associated with officers and staff abusing their position for sexual purpose. Inspectors found that Hertfordshire Constabulary trains its workforce to recognise and report on abuse of position and other corruption matters. It monitors its staff’s use of data to check for evidence of abuse of position and takes action accordingly. It also participates in a regional ethics board.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Inspectors found that the Metropolitan Police Service:

• ‘requires improvement’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Matt Parr said:

“Our inspection of the Met shows an improving picture. The Met’s national and international functions bring with them huge pressures and intense scrutiny. It will never get everything right; but we believe the Met’s performance is moving in the right direction. During this inspection I found some areas of exceptional service to the public, some aspects that were clearly underfunded, and some poor areas. The force needs to make some improvements if it is to provide a consistently good service. But Londoners should acknowledge the challenges their police service faces and the progress being made.

“The force is good at preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour. It is very good at dealing with serious and organised crime. But it needs to improve how it investigates less serious crime and how swiftly it brings offenders to justice. And I am concerned that it doesn’t have enough resources in place to effectively manage all dangerous offenders.

“The Met has sound financial and workforce plans. Leaders are ambitious and want to be innovative in making the organisation more efficient in the future.

“Officers and staff are under real pressure. More could be done to understand why this is happening, and the effect it has on individuals.

“Overall, I commend the Metropolitan Police Service for the progress it has made over the past year. The force is generally improving and changes it has made are working. I will continue to monitor the force’s progress in areas where it still needs to improve.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

The Met only responds reactively to the abuse of position for a sexual purpose. Its approach to ICT monitoring may be hindering this. It hasn’t yet completed the necessary actions regarding our 2016 recommendation. There are also backlogs in vetting staff. However, it now treats this type of abuse as serious corruption and the cases we examined had been appropriately referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of North Yorkshire 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 North Yorkshire Police:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ in 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 Phil Gormley said:

“I am satisfied with most aspects of the performance of North Yorkshire Police, but the force needs to improve in its legitimacy to provide a consistently good service.

“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 now has better systems to identify and support vulnerable people and makes greater use of protective powers.

“The force understands current demand well and seeks to use its resources efficiently. However, it needs to improve its understanding of future demand, so it can produce good financial and workforce plans.

“I am disappointed that it doesn’t yet have the systems it needs to reassure the public it uses powers such as stop and search legitimately. It also needs greater capacity and capability to identify corruption.

“I commend the progress that North Yorkshire Police has made in some areas since last year. I will continue to monitor the force’s progress in areas where it still needs to improve.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

We found that the force recognises the abuse of position for a sexual purpose as serious corruption, however its plan to address our 2016 national recommendation in this area hasn’t yet been fully implemented.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire Police:

• ‘requires improvement’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘inadequate’ 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 Zoe Billingham said:

“I have concerns about the performance of Northamptonshire Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime. I am especially worried about the force’s efficiency, and how effectively it investigates crime and protects vulnerable people.

“Northamptonshire Police works within a challenging financial context. The force is dealing now with the legacy effects of a decade of under-funding, with budget constraints having had a particularly damaging impact on the service the force has been able to provide to their communities. However the force needs to improve how it prevents crime and anti-social behaviour, and how it engages with communities and partner organisations to solve local problems.

“The force is not investigating crime effectively. I am concerned about the standard of investigations and the lack of scrutiny by supervisors and senior managers. The force doesn’t always respond to vulnerable people quickly enough, so it could miss opportunities to safeguard people at risk.

“The force’s limited understanding of demand for its services is worrying. It needs to remodel processes that supress or hide demand. It needs a much clearer understanding of its workforce’s skills, and those it will need in the future. This will help the force plan how to use its resources more efficiently.

“Northamptonshire Police has made some positive changes in its approach to crime prevention since our last inspection. It now has dedicated local policing teams working more closely with communities and organisations. New approaches to problem solving, including working more with other organisations, means the force has improved in this area since our last inspection.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promotes standards of professional behaviour well. But I am concerned that it doesn’t always comply with legislation when it detains people in custody. It should make sure it is accountable for detention facilities and that they are well governed, including relating to the use of force.

“Given the critical improvements that need to be made, the force has been placed into our national oversight process. I will work closely with the Chief Constable and others to support the force so that it can improve its service to the public over the coming months.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. This is an area in which Northamptonshire Police is performing well. Abuse of position is well publicised throughout the workforce and is recognised as serious corruption. The force asks for information about corruption from a variety of sources and an anonymous public reporting line will be available soon too. The force also provides appropriate support to staff and officers who report wrongdoing, and investigations are conducted promptly.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Northumbria 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 Northumbria 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 have concerns about the performance of Northumbria Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime, and in particular regarding its effectiveness at protecting vulnerable people.

“The force is good at investigating crime. However, it needs to improve how it prevents crime and anti-social behaviour through better engagement with its communities and a more consistent, structured approach to solving neighbourhood problems.

“The force needs to improve how it understands current and future demand. This should help it develop more robust finance and workforce plans to make sure that it uses its resources effectively.

“I am reassured that the force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. However, I am concerned that the necessary systems are not in place to reassure the public that each time an officer uses force, it is done legitimately.

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

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

Inspectors found that Northumbria Police recognises the abuse of position for a sexual purpose as serious corruption and this is reflected in its local counter-corruption strategic threat assessment. It has fully implemented its plan to address our 2016 national recommendation on abuse of authority for a sexual purpose.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of South Wales 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 South Wales Police:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Wendy Williams said:

“I am pleased with South Wales Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime.

“The force is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour and understands the importance of working with its communities to do this. It investigates crime well and has a clear focus on identifying and protecting vulnerable people.

“The force understands the complexity and scale of demand for its services. It is using this information to develop its financial and workforce plans to meet future needs. It is good at using resources to meet demand.

“Senior leaders make sure the workforce understands the importance of treating the public and each other with fairness and respect. The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promotes well the standards of professional behaviour it expects.

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

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. Inspectors found that South Wales Police takes abuse of position seriously. Its Professional Standards Department provides officers and staff with comprehensive guidance on how to recognise and report abuse of position. In a case audit, HMICFRS identified seven instances of abuse of position which required referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The force referred six of these to the IOPC. The force has partially implemented a 2016 action plan to combat abuse of position.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of South Yorkshire 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 South Yorkshire Police:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 very pleased with South Yorkshire Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. In particular, it is outstanding in how it maintains an ethical culture.

“The force is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. It is good at investigating crime and continues to use its improved investigative processes across the organisation.
“While the force has improved how well it protects vulnerable people, it still doesn’t always respond to them quickly enough.

“The force has improved some of its crime-recording processes but has more work to do.

“South Yorkshire Police understands the current and future demand for its services much better than it has done before. It has used this knowledge to develop strong financial and workforce plans.

“Senior leaders support the workforce. I am impressed by how well they encourage a culture of ethical behaviour and promote professional standards of behaviour.

“Overall, I commend South Yorkshire Police for the progress it has made over the past year. This gives a good foundation for continuing to improve in the year ahead.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. Inspectors judged South Yorkshire Police to be outstanding in the way in which it works to prevent abuse of position and other corruption matters. It has implemented an action plan and run an effective communications campaign to raise staff awareness. It also works effectively with partner organisations to recognise and take action against any instances of abuse of position.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Suffolk 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 found that Suffolk Constabulary:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Zoë Billingham said:

“I am pleased with most aspects of the performance of Suffolk Constabulary.

“The force prevents crime and tackles anti-social behaviour well. It works closely with partners to ensure that it safeguards victims. The force is good at protecting vulnerable people, and seeks out hidden harm and looks for vulnerability from the moment a person contacts the police.

“The force has a clear process for prioritising problem solving. It holds monthly meetings with councillors, partners and the public in each of its nine localities. It creates action plans for all problem-solving priorities and records anti-social behaviour investigations centrally.

“The force operates efficiently but it needs a clear and detailed future plan to make significant long-term improvements to its service. It will need to improve its understanding of the demands upon it and the capabilities of its workforce to achieve this.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well.

“I am pleased to see that by introducing changes across a number of areas since our previous inspection, the Chief Constable and his senior leaders have shown a clear commitment to improve policing services for the communities of Suffolk.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

Inspectors found that Suffolk Constabulary takes abuse of position for a sexual purpose seriously. It promptly refers all cases of abuse of position to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Tackling abuse of position is at the heart of the force’s counter-corruption campaign. It provides comprehensive training and guidance to its workforce on how to recognise and report abuse of position. In addition, it has in place an innovative scheme to support victims of this type of corruption.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Surrey 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 Surrey Police:

• is ‘good’ 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 Zoë Billingham said:

“I am pleased with Surrey Police’s performance. The force’s overall approach to neighbourhood policing is excellent. Police are local experts in the boroughs where they work. They know who the local criminals are, where vulnerable people live and what resources are available.

“The force is outstanding at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. It engages well with its communities and partner organisations to understand and solve neighbourhood problems, and its work to tackle anti-social behavior has been nationally recognised. It also works effectively with partners to identify and protect vulnerable people. One notable aspect of the approach taken by senior leaders in Surrey Police is to ensure that neighbourhood officers are rarely taken away from their core policing role, allowing them to focus on the needs of their local communities.

“However the force is struggling to meet demand for its services, which is evidenced by their failure to meet targets for responding to calls. It should gain a better understanding of current demand and how it uses and prioritises resources to meet it. This knowledge, along with a more detailed assessment of its workforce capabilities, should help it to develop strong and sustainable plans for the future.

“Senior leaders pride themselves on being approachable and welcome challenges and debate. The force works alongside universities and other partners to seek areas to improve and innovate. The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well and it treats its workforce fairly.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. Inspectors found that Surrey Police is good at dealing with abuse of position for a sexual purpose. It refers all relevant allegations to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. It has in place an effective counter-corruption strategy, including internal communications initiatives designed to raise awareness of corruption issues. It also ensures that all staff have the appropriate level of vetting for their roles.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Thames Valley 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 Thames Valley Police:

• is ‘good’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• is ‘good’ 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 Zoe Billingham said:

“I am pleased with most aspects of Thames Valley Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime.

“The force understands its communities. It tackles anti-social behaviour well and
works closely with partner organisations to make sure it safeguards victims. Serious crime is investigated well, but the investigation of less complex crime needs to improve. The force closes some investigations too early, it doesn’t record victim contract details consistently, and supervision is not always effective.

“The force has a good understanding of demand and how it will change, including the effect of technological change. It is using this knowledge to develop financial and workforce plans for the future.

“Senior leaders continue to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. The force knows it needs to improve in the areas we have identified. It has created a comprehensive plan, which is being led by a chief officer. This is still in its early stages, but the action the force is starting to take is encouraging.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

The Thames Valley Police workforce is aware that abuse of authority for sexual purpose is serious corruption and the force treats it as such. Ways to report misconduct confidentially are well used and staff have confidence in them. But the force needs to make more progress in how it identifies potential corruption at an early stage.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of Warwickshire 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 Warwickshire Police:

• is ‘good’ 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 Wendy Williams said:

“Warwickshire Police is performing well in some areas; however I have serious concerns about the force’s efficiency. In view of these findings, I have been in regular contact with the chief constable, because I do not underestimate the challenges ahead.

“The force is good at preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB). The neighbourhood teams understand community issues and work well with other agencies to resolve local problems. The force has improved how it protects vulnerable people. It works closely with partners to ensure that it safeguards victims.

“But it needs to improve the way it investigates crime and how swiftly it brings offenders to justice. I am concerned that crimes are not always allocated to appropriately trained staff, and that they are not investigated thoroughly enough or supervised effectively.

“The force currently provides many of its services through an alliance with West Mercia Police, an arrangement that will end in October 2019. I am concerned that there is no certainty as to how it will provide these services in the future. Warwickshire Police has a good understanding of the demands for its services but needs to fully anticipate future pressures.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. However, it needs to make sure that training in relation to legislative powers, such as the use of force by officers, is maintained.

“I commend the progress that Warwickshire Police has made in some areas and will continue to monitor the force’s progress in areas where improvements are still needed.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.

Warwickshire Police views abuse of position for a sexual purpose as a serious corruption risk. It has an effective and comprehensive plan in place to tackle it. It should continue to promote awareness among its workforce, including supervisors, of the risks of abuse of position for a sexual purpose.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has today published a report into the performance of West Mercia 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 Mercia Police:

• ‘requires improvement’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
• ‘requires improvement’ in 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 some aspects of the performance of West Mercia Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime and, in particular, serious concerns about the force’s efficiency.

“The force is good at preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB). But it needs to improve the way it investigates crime and how swiftly it brings offenders to justice. I am concerned that crimes are not always allocated to appropriately trained staff and that they are not investigated thoroughly enough or supervised effectively. The force also needs to improve how it protects vulnerable people.

“The force has demonstrated significant improvements in the way it deals with serious and organised crime. It is a force priority, and the force understands the threat it poses and has effective systems in place for managing it. The efforts made by the force in this respect are to be commended.

“The force currently provides many of its services through an alliance with Warwickshire Police, an arrangement that it will end in October 2019. I am concerned that the force’s decision to terminate the alliance does not appear to have been based on a well-evidenced business case, nor were the public or partners consulted beforehand.

“The force continues to uphold an ethical culture and promote standards of professional behaviour well. However, it needs to increase its engagement with the workforce and improve the confidence of the workforce that all staff are treated fairly. In addition, the force needs to do more to ensure the wellbeing of its officers and staff.

“My overall assessment is that, despite some significant improvements in some areas, the force’s performance has declined since last year. I have been in regular contact with the chief constable, because I do not underestimate the challenges ahead. But I do expect to see further improvements made when we next inspect.”

HMICFRS has also focused on how forces manage the risks associated with officers and staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption. The vast majority of police officers and staff are dedicated public servants who would never contemplate this inexcusable behaviour. Although the numbers of people involved are small, forces must do all they can to prevent, detect and deal with this serious form of corruption.