Praise for Norfolk Police
A new report has praised their response to the pandemic
Norfolk Police features in the latest inspection from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into the police response to Covid-19.
As part of its wider assessment into the police response to the pandemic last year, the HMICFRS inspected the custody services of five police forces, including those in Norfolk.
The assessment cites Norfolk Constabulary as a positive example, highlighting how the force "put planning at the centre of its continuous improvement programme".
It also found forces "responded quickly" to ensure there were "enough custody officers and staff to maintain services," and followed guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council to encourage frontline officers to arrest only when essential, and consider alternative options to taking individuals into custody.
The report notes that despite the total number of detainees entering custody between April and August 2020 decreasing slightly, the work of custody staff increased due to the additional demands. These included supporting remote remand hearings, supervising remote legal advice, and using video and audio technology in a more regular manner.
The report states that forces, faced with courts closing, acted quickly to set up or extend existing virtual court arrangements to allow remand hearings to take place from police custody. Some of these costs were subsequently passed to police.
In Norfolk, work had started to embed virtual court processes that had been running for the last five years. As such, Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies were in a good position to protect staff and detainees at the height of the pandemic and beyond.
Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said:
"As a blue light service that responds to people in emergency and crisis, we've had to find ways to adapt and continue with the job of protecting the public, while keeping our staff and officers as safe as we possibly can. It hasn't been easy, but what has been consistent throughout has been their commitment to protecting and supporting our communities, and each other.
"I'm extremely proud of the way we have responded to this challenge. So many self-sacrifices have been made to retain our staff on the frontline, keep people feeling safe and reassured and keep bringing offenders to justice. It has been a team effort in keeping the organisation ticking; everyone has had a role to play. This has been particularly evident in our responses in custody and I'm pleased with the findings in this report.
"There can be little doubt that like many organisations, this pandemic has forced us to think and work differently, and it will change the way we work in some areas of business for the future."
HMICFRS's assessment of custody services formed part of its inspection of the police response to the pandemic between March and November 2020. The wider report notes that "although there were some inconsistencies, in general police forces took immediate and decisive action to respond to the extreme circumstances of the pandemic".
The assessment of the pandemic's effect on custody services was based on fieldwork - case audits, interviews with strategic and operational officers, focus groups with custody and frontline response officers and a staff survey in five forces - as well as gathering information from all 43 police forces.