West Yorkshire PEEL 2018

This question was not subject to detailed inspection in 2018/19, and our judgment from the 2017 effectiveness inspection has been carried over.

Detective capability and capacity is a risk for West Yorkshire Police. Not enough officers are trained and have the experience to manage high-risk investigations, particularly those involving specialist safeguarding. This has a negative effect on investigation quality and puts pressure on supervisors.

The force is working hard to recruit, retain and train officers to fill the gap. Initiatives include new career pathways and ‘we are all investigators’ training.

The force has invested in activities to improve statement quality, handovers between teams and processing times for digital evidence. However, more progress is needed before they make a positive effect on the effectiveness of investigations.

File and investigation quality may be a cause of the force’s high number of unassigned outcomes and outcome 15 (where there are evidential difficulties with the crime, but the suspect has been identified and the victim supports action).

West Yorkshire Police has one of the highest telephone resolution rates in England and Wales. It provides a good service to resolve non-emergency incidents that leads to satisfactory outcomes for victims.

The force’s ‘wanted persons’ mobile device application is good. It circulates up-to-date information on suspects to help officers focus on those causing most harm. The force works well with immigration services.

It has a new bail policy, which has not yet been implemented. (At the time of the inspection it didn’t have a standard policy or guidelines in place.)

A new governance structure (that is, a regular meeting schedule) aims to improve performance and put outcomes for victims at the front of the decision-making process.

‘Protecting the vulnerable’ is one of the force’s five priorities. It has a clear definition of vulnerability that officers and staff understand well.

The force uses assessment tools and data from partners, including health services, local authorities and probation, to understand:

• the nature and scale of vulnerability it faces;
• which threats pose the greatest risk; and
• complex crime demand.

Its four-year projection will influence training, workforce and intelligence planning.

The force’s initial response to incidents involving vulnerable people is good. Call handlers can promptly identify vulnerability and give appropriate advice on keeping safe and preserving evidence.

The force has a definition and policy to help officers and staff recognise mental ill health. It runs successful forums, trials and evaluations (at district level) to provide a more effective service to people with mental health conditions.

West Yorkshire Police works well with neighbourhood teams to safeguard vulnerable victims. It also makes use of alternative legislation and powers when it cannot prosecute. For example, domestic violence prevention orders.

The force pays great attention to victim satisfaction rates for domestic abuse. It has a clear policy for Clare’s Law and uses it to protect victims.

It has a good approach to the multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC), with established systems and processes for working with partners.

This question was not subject to detailed inspection in 2018/19, and our judgment from the 2016 effectiveness inspection has been carried over.

We have previously inspected how well forces provide armed policing. This formed part of our 2016 and 2017 effectiveness inspections. Subsequent terrorist attacks in the UK and Europe have meant that the police service maintains a focus on armed capability in England and Wales.

It is not just terrorist attacks that place operational demands on armed officers. The threat can include the activity of organised crime groups or armed street gangs and all other crime involving guns. The Code of Practice on the Police Use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons (PDF document) makes forces responsible for implementing national standards of armed policing. The code stipulates that a chief officer be designated to oversee these standards. This requires the chief officer to set out the firearms threat in an armed policing strategic threat and risk assessment (APSTRA). The chief officer must also set out clear rationales for the number of armed officers (armed capacity) and the level to which they are trained (armed capability).