Gloucestershire Police failing in victim support and investigations
The Force was graded "inadequate" under several criteria by a watchdog
Last updated 27th Oct 2021
Gloucestershire Police has been graded "inadequate" in five out of 10 key performance indicators by a new report.
The Force was found to be especially failing in victim support and how it investigates crimes.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said other areas of concern were its recording of crime data and spending.
'There is much work still to be done'
Rod Hansen, Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Police, said: "There are lots of examples of very good and innovative practice identified in this report but I do recognise there is much work still to be done to address the concerns the inspectorate has.
"What I would say is that I think this only represents a partial picture of the work we do to keep people safe from harm and that we were inspected during the biggest emergency this country has seen since the Second World War".
Is Gloucestershire Police failing to identify repeat victims?
In the year ending 30 September 2020, Gloucestershire Police flagged repeat callers in 412 incidents.
This is equivalent to less than three in every 1,000 incidents and below the average across other forces, inspectors found.
The HMICFRS said Gloucestershire Police is therefore potentially leaving vulnerable individuals at risk.
'Hampered by the pandemic'
They also found the Force was failing to record crimes such as domestic abuse, behavioural crimes and offences linked to antisocial behaviour - meaning victims were not getting an appropriate service.
Domestic abuse crimes were "of particular concern", with some cases closed due to problems with evidence, or victims withdrawing from the prosecution process.
Mr Hansen said: "We had already made progress in areas like crime-recording accuracy, but this was hampered by the pandemic - at times our workforce was severely reduced in capacity, most training had to be cancelled and many staff members had to change roles and often do things very differently".
He also emphasised the pandemic's impact on the performance of the Force, as the landscape of policing "changed dramatically" so officers' plans "had to adapt as well".
Concerns about spending and management of offenders
The report also flagged concerns about the Force's spending, with a projected shortfall of more than £1.4 million for the year 2021/22, possibly hitting £10 million by 2025.
However, Inspectors said the management of offenders by Gloucestershire Police was "adequate".
They advised the Force to review its policy on risk assessments and the way it gathers supporting intelligence.
The report also claimed that officers were delivering good performance when it came to preventing crime and disrupting serious organised offences.
The Force also ranked high in developing a positive workspace.
It further found the Force had robust systems in place to ensure fair treatment of the public, including a "community legitimacy panel".
Mr Hansen added that Gloucestershire Police was now undergoing a major recruitment drive, including for an additional eight detectives for its rape and serious sexual offences team.