Leicestershire PEEL 2018
Legitimacy
How legitimately does the force treat the public and its workforce?
To what extent does the force treat all of the people it serves with fairness and respect?
This question was not subject to detailed inspection in 2018/19, and our judgment from the 2017 legitimacy inspection has been carried over. However, we reviewed a representative sample of 163 stop and search records to assess the reasonableness of the recorded grounds. We found that 95 percent had reasonable grounds recorded. Our assessment is based on the grounds recorded on the record by the searching officer and not the grounds that existed at the time of the search.
In our 2017 legitimacy report, we recommended that all forces should:
- monitor and analyse comprehensive stop and search data to understand reasons for disparities;
- take action on those; and
- publish the analysis and the action by July 2018.
We found that the force has complied with most of this recommendation and is well placed to improve by publishing more analysis. It does monitor a comprehensive range of data, including the find rate of different types of searches. That find rate data should be extended to show disparities between people from different ethnicities.
The force carries out some analysis on drug searches, but it should develop that to encompass the prevalence of possession-only drug searches, distinguish find rates for drug possession and supply-type offences, and, the extent to which these align with local or force-level priorities.
However, we reviewed the force’s website and found the force has published a 2015 study by De Montfort University on disproportionality. This included comment on the extent to which find rates differ between people from different ethnicities and across different types of search.
We will continue to monitor progress in this area.
How well does the force ensure that its workforce behaves ethically and lawfully?
Leicestershire Police has a positive ethical culture. Employees know how to challenge unethical conduct, and they are able to report suspicions of poor behaviour anonymously – though most told us that they would be confident to report their concerns directly.
An independent committee considers ethical challenges facing the force, including its use of coercive powers. However, many members of the workforce seemed unaware of it.
Operation Fox oversees matters that put the force’s reputation and integrity at risk. The force has made good progress in improving its vetting procedures and expects its whole workforce to be vetted to a minimum standard by early 2019.
The force is good at tackling corruption. Officers and staff are well aware of the need to declare business interests, but we found their knowledge of notifiable associations to be less consistent.
The force works with specialists from other organisations to look for signs of officers or staff abusing their positions for a sexual purpose. It has fully implemented a plan in response to our 2016 national recommendation on this issue.
Detailed findings for question 2
To what extent does the force treat its workforce with fairness and respect?
This question was not subject to detailed inspection in 2018/19, and our judgment from the 2017 legitimacy inspection has been carried over.