Lichfield District Council must debate the impact of a report into Staffordshire Police, the leader of the Labour opposition group has said.
The Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services review said the force was “inadequate” in its ability to respond to the public, investigate crime and manage offenders and suspects.
It also said that Staffordshire Police required improvement in other areas, while rating it as adequate in the ability to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour opposition group at Lichfield District Council, said he would be raising the impact of the findings at a meeting of the local authority.
“The report gave two ‘causes of concern’ – one about call handling and the other in the way it carries out investigations.
“These affect the district council’s community safety plan and must be considered by the council.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Norman said that the main issue was understaffing and the lack of resources.
“I doubt that there is a single councillor who has not had complaints from residents about call handling by the police.
“The report confirms this as it says ‘calls are not always responded to in a timely way’.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Norman said he intended to raise the report at a meeting of the council on 20th October.
“This report will make concerning reading”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams said plans were in place to bring the force up to standard.
“I understand that this report will make concerning reading, but Staffordshire is one of the safest places to live, work and visit, with the lowest crime in the West Midlands and the lowest out of its most similar forces.
“There is still work to be done to bring some fundamental police services up to the standards people expect and deserve. I am greatly reassured that a lot has changed within the force since this inspection in January 2022.
“In December, I recruited a new Chief Constable from another force where he was part of a team that brought about rapid improvement.
“I’m encouraged to see the new local policing model, introduced at the end of June, is already making a difference. With more officers based in our communities, the force is able to respond to calls for service more quickly, and spend more time working with partners to address the issues that matter to people.
“There is also a focus on improvements within the force contact centre, recruiting additional staff to reduce waiting times on 999 and 101 calls – a key priority for me as commissioner, and the people of Staffordshire.
“As a result of this work, significant progress has already been made to address the areas requiring improvement, which is recognised in the inspectors’ report. They also praise the force for its work in preventing crime, safeguarding vulnerable people and understanding the standards of behaviour expected of officers.
“I will be closely monitoring the force’s performance over the coming months to ensure this momentum is maintained to keep our communities safe.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
