Hampshire Constabulary provides policing services to the county of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The police force area covers 1,602 square miles with approximately 230 miles of coastline in the south of England. Although there are some areas of deprivation, Hampshire has areas of marked affluence. Around 2 million people mainly live in the urban centres which include the cities of Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester, the towns of Basingstoke and Farnborough as well as the town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The population is increased by university students and the large numbers who visit, socialise, or travel through the area each year. The transport infrastructure also includes major rail stations, an airport and major sea ports.
HMICFRS independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions which citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence. We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their force against others, and our evidence is used to drive improvements in the service to the public.
Michael Lane
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, appointed in April 2016
