Inspectors say Nottinghamshire Police ‘requires improvement’ when it comes to keeping people safe and reducing crime.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) published a report today (Thursday November 9) on how the force understands demand, uses its resources and how well it’s planning for the future.
HMIC is an independent regulator that inspects police forces to make sure that they are operating as they should be.
The report said: “The force only partially understands the factors that can affect demand and is developing an approach to assessing external factors that are likely to affect future demand, such as technological, economic and social changes.
“It could improve how it manages, prioritises and filters demand.
“Sometimes it may be inadvertently suppressing demand and there are times when demand exceeds available resources, placing pressure on frontline officers.”
The force was given ‘good’ for understanding demand, ‘requires improvement’ for using resources and ‘requires improvement’ for planning for the future, resulting in an overall judgment of ‘requires improvement’.
In response to the report, Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “We value their input and recommendations and I am pleased that it is recognised we are working hard to improve our efficiency – this is testament to my officers and staff.
“Since becoming the Chief Constable in February a lot of changes have taken place in a short space of time, with many more underway.
“In fact, many of the recommendations made by HMICFRS have already been acted upon by my team, which have been recognised by the inspectorate.”
Mr Guildford said the force has a “sound plan for the future” and is in a “much better financial position than before”.
He said: “This greatly improved financial position has allowed us to make changes to enhance our service and increase recruitment in line with my plan and that of the Police and Crime Commissioner.”
The report found Notts Police has a higher demand than the national average.
Figures show crime is on the rise in Nottinghamshire, with overall offences up 12 per cent in a year and knife crime rising by a third.
Mr Guildford said: “The HMICFRS recognises we are good at understanding our demand and we are making real progress when it comes to understanding the crimes that are less likely to be reported.
“We have also improved our understanding of the workforce’s skills and capabilities.
“We work well with others to manage local services and we have demonstrated that collaboration with other forces and partners increases our resilience and capability.
“We have launched Our Priority Plan, Nottinghamshire Police’s strategy to provide a service that works for local people, and will ensure that the recommendations made by HMICFRS are fully incorporated into the improvements that come from this, enhancing services for local people.
“We remain committed to recruiting officers and staff, and investing in them, so that we have the right skills to effectively face any future challenges and provide the best service possible to Nottinghamshire.”
Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said he was pleased to see that the report recognised improvements already underway to enhance force efficiency.
He said: “It’s a realistic assessment of Nottinghamshire’s performance at the time of the inspection and while we all accept there is more to do, it acknowledges the progress that’s been made and the plans that are in place.
“A lot has changed since this time last year, including the chief officer team, which has brought fresh vision, enthusiasm and energy to initiate positive changes across the force.”
