Staffordshire’s police chief has welcomed a report demonstrating improvements around vulnerability and victims of crime – but say there is still more work to do.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published findings from a recent revisit to Staffordshire Police to review progress, following concerns during an initial victims service assessment in January 2022.
Issues were flagged at the time about how the force identify and assess vulnerability and how they carry out investigations and provide victims with support.
It led to Staffordshire Police being placed into the ‘engage’ phase of HMICFRS monitoring.
The assessment was reported in December to measure progress and found progress was being made with improvements in a number of areas.
But the inspectorate found there was still work to do around attending emergency incidents within expected timeframes, producing quality investigation plans for every crime and ensuring that supervisors scrutinise investigations.
Chief Constable Chris Noble said:
“I am pleased that HMICFRS has found that we have made progress, and noted improvements in many areas. However, they and I recognise there is more to be done.
“Within investigations, we have been heavily focused on improving how we work and freeing-up time for our officers to dedicate to quality investigations. In the coming months, a crime admin bureau will be created to remove some of the administrative burden currently placed on officers, giving them more time on the frontline.
“We will also continue to invest in our Force Contact Centre, recruiting more members of staff to enhance our service.
“A live chat function on our website has just been introduced to provide a quality service to the public, freeing up more staff to respond to 999 calls when required and helping us to identify and prioritise our service to the most vulnerable people.”
Chief Constable Chris Noble, Staffordshire Police
The updated inspection means Staffordshire Police will remain in the ‘engage’ phase.
“The engage monitoring provides us with a positive opportunity to be supported by HMICFRS and other national policing bodies and enables us to regularly share our progress on the areas for improvement, as we are doing now.
“We remain focused on further improving our response to emergency and non-emergency requests for assistance, continuing with our triage function to direct those calls that can be dealt with by partner agencies or other means, and using analytical software to better predict seasonal patterns and help us to meet anticipated demand with more intelligent resourcing.
“Many of our plans will not be possible without the support and guidance of key partners and stakeholders, but I am confident that together we can achieve our aims of protecting victims, safeguarding the vulnerable and preventing crime to secure safe and confident communities in Staffordshire.
“We have a proud and recent history of being one of the best performing forces in the country – and I’ve made it clear to my staff and the communities we serve that we intend to be back in that place and delivering the service that Staffordshire deserves.”
Chief Constable Chris Noble, Staffordshire Police
The full inspectorate report is available online.