#025/2010 – Salford Basic Command Unit is ‘fair’ and improving

Policing in Salford is fair and is getting better, according to a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.

The inspection of Salford Basic Command Unit (BCU), part of Greater Manchester Police, found that it requires improvement but has strengths in making places safe and in reassuring communities. Basic Command Units – known as divisions in GMP – are how forces deliver local policing and interact with communities.

Salford’s strengths include:

  • Positive leadership and high morale, which has led to crime reduction.
  • Response times, investigation queues and the time taken to conclude investigations have reduced.
  • A significant reduction in serious acquisitive crimes, such as burglaries, robberies and vehicle crime.
  • The BCU Commander has taken personal ownership of the need to improve the systems for safeguarding children.

Areas for improvement include:

  • Ensuring all staff feel valued, recognised and appreciated.
  • Forming a BCU plan to increase the number of crimes solved.
  • Enhancing links with local communities and increase the quality of problem solving interventions.
  • Reducing the number of staff off sick or on restrictive duties.

Roger Baker, Her Majesty’s Inspector for the Northern region, said: “Performance in Salford has been particularly challenging with all categories of reduction, detection and user satisfaction being below the average of its most similar group for the 12 months to March 2010.

“However, in terms of crime reduction, the BCU is strongly emerging from a low base with all key crime categories reducing significantly over the past 12 months with notable reductions in domestic burglaries and vehicle crime.

“The upturn in crime reduction performance in Salford is a direct consequence of positive leadership. The senior management team recognise that further work remains and they have the necessary capability, determination and leadership to meet the challenge and make Salford a safe area for all its residents and businesses.”

Inspectors made four recommendations, including:

  • The BCU should improve its crime solving performance against key priorities under a single lead;
  • The BCU should improve the mechanisms for community engagement in consultation with key partners;
  • Staff training and development should be reviewed to ensure they receive appropriate support and development.
  • Salford BCU will be revisited by HMIC in 12 months to assess whether the recommendations have been implemented and to review the change in performance since inspection.

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. The inspection of Salford BCU in Greater Manchester Police was conducted between 10 and 14 May 2010.
  2. See HMIC’s full report on Salford BCU at www.hmic.gov.uk.
  3. BCUs are graded Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor.
  4. The direction of travel is determined from performance analysis over two timescales (12 months and three years) and is assessed as either improving, stable or declining.
  5. HMIC is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing in the public interest and rigorously examines/the effectiveness of police forces and authorities to tackle crime and terrorism; improve criminal justice and raise confidence.
  6. HMIC inspects and regulates all 43 police forces in England and Wales together with other major policing bodies such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the British Transport Police and HMRC.
  7. The HMIC press office can be contacted on 0207 802 1824.