Cleveland Police rated as improving in some areas - but there is still work to do
The latest report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was released today
Cleveland police bosses are reacting to the most recent report by HMICFRS, which has suggested that some areas of the force's work are better than in previous years, but there are still improvements which are needed.
The inspection looked at all areas of service delivered by the force including protecting vulnerable people, preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, investigating crime and the service provided to victims.
The inspection also considers some of the internal processes within the force including finance, and governance as well as the culture of the organisation.
The report from the HMICFRS inspection details improvements that have been made within Cleveland Police such as how the force identifies vulnerable people, crime recording accuracy, local arrangements to protect exploited children and the internal culture around standards and ethics.
The latest report, published today, identifies a number of areas as needing continuing improvement, and the force remains committed to driving these necessary improvements.
HMICFRS graded Cleveland Police’s performance across ten areas of policing and found the force was ‘good’ in one area, ‘adequate’ in four areas, ‘requires improvement’ in three areas and ‘inadequate’ in two areas.
Chief Constable Mark Webster said: “I am pleased Cleveland Police has been recognised for the significant improvements we have achieved, and that we no longer have the label of the worst performing force. We have more to do to address all the issues the force faces, but improvements are being made to the service we provide to the public every day right across the force.
“Every single person in Cleveland who needs police support should receive the best possible service and have a police service that protects them, their families and their communities. I know we are not there yet, but I am wholeheartedly committed to achieving this aim.
“One significant change since the inspection is that we now have a substantive Chief Officer Team made up of myself, Deputy Chief Constable Victoria Fuller, Assistant Chief Constable David Felton and Assistant Chief Constable Richard Baker. This will provide stability and clear leadership for the workforce.
“One of the first changes we made was introducing an identifiable local command for Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, with a named, visible leader. These units should be the first port of call for our communities to support the wish to have more ownership of policing at a local level and help identify problems in your local area.
"Some of the key benefits of these changes include clearer lines of accountability and ownership locally and force wide, a stronger focus on prevention and proactivity to reduce harm, along with greater collaboration and closer working relationships with the public and our partner agencies.
“We have also created a new Prevention command that is providing a strong focus on reducing offending and harm with the aim of seeing fewer victims and fewer offences by addressing the underlying causes and using partnership-oriented problem solving.
“I’m really pleased to hear the Inspectorate is encouraged by some of the improvements under my leadership, however it’s really important to recognise that it is a team effort, building on the fantastic work that is happening across the force, and allowing room for innovation.
“The improvements of performance measures are important, but we know that people want to understand what this all means for members of the public. One of the things I am most proud of is the recognition of the significant improvement since 2019 in our effectiveness at identifying vulnerable people.
“In the force control room we have a dedicated team of people who support victims of domestic abuse, supported by an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) and a mental health nurse. In addition, we have developed our own technology to support the identification of repeat callers. This is key to ensuring we can identify potential risks and make sure the right people get the right service and care.
“The Force has the highest rate of applications via Clare’s Law in England and Wales. Clare’s Law, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, is a police policy which allows people to learn if their current or ex-partner has any previous history of violence or abuse. In the year ending 31 March 2022, Cleveland Police made 1,013 ‘right to know’ applications, a significantly higher number than the average across all forces in England and Wales.
“We also have the joint highest charge rate in the UK for domestic abuse and we are sixth when it comes to domestic abuse arrest rate in the UK.
“This means that Cleveland Police is helping to protect a significant number of people from domestic abuse and keep them safe from harm.
“This is under the lens of having the highest rate of crime for England and Wales, as we must remember that from a policing perspective Cleveland is more like Greater Manchester or Merseyside in terms of the crime types and levels of demand. However, in terms of Cleveland’s resource and funding its allocation is more like that of a rural force; which is a unique and challenging situation.
"In the report His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, acknowledges that the force “has faced numerous challenges over several years.”
“As a force, Cleveland Police is doing some really good things, often under very difficult circumstances.
"The latest data (February 2023) shows that Cleveland Police is number one across all 43 forces for average 999 answer time at 6.61 seconds, with 86.6% of all calls answered within 10 seconds. This is certainly something to celebrate, especially given the level of demand we see here in Cleveland, where we often receive around 1000 calls for support every day.
“Cleveland Police is determined to keep moving forward and continue to improve. The issues highlighted in the report were already on our radar with plans in place to deal with the concerns; we are confident that with continued hard work and focus these improvements can be realised. Being open and transparent with HMICFRS during the inspection is key to this success. We certainly welcome the acknowledgement of the improvements but, due to a number of factors such as resourcing pressures and increased demand, I know we are not always hitting the mark and being as good as we should be.
“We’re determined not to accept this, and our priority is to make sure we provide a consistently high standard of service to people across the Cleveland Police area. We will do this by placing our focus on prevention and harm reduction and proactively targeting and disrupting those criminals who cause the most harm in our communities.
“Many of our plans for improvement won’t be possible without the support and guidance of key partners and stakeholders, but I am confident that together we can tackle criminals, protect communities, protect people and be the best we can be.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner added;
I’m pleased that HMICFRS has recognised something that I have been aware of for some time – that despite facing difficult circumstances, Cleveland Police is a force that is rapidly improving.
“Considering the scale of the challenge facing the force following the 2019 inspection, I’m delighted that improvements have been made in almost all areas and that many of HMICFRS’ previous causes of concern have been addressed.
“Officers, staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly for the best part of three years to turn the force’s trajectory around. It’s extremely important that their efforts are recognised by this independent inspection.
“I’m particularly pleased to see where inspectors have highlighted innovative practices such as how Force Control Room assess the risk towards victims and how well they identify vulnerability. The report grades Cleveland Police’s crime recording processes as ‘good’ – a testament to a concerted force-wide effort in this area.
“Clearly, there is still a lot more to do. Inspectors have rightly noted areas where the force must make more progress to fully address two concerns highlighted in 2019, issues I am well aware of through my own scrutiny and accountability programme.
“More must be done to prevent crime, by better understanding the root causes of offending behaviour - and get upstream of them before they become a significant problem. I have already examined these issues in my scrutiny meetings and that will continue over the next 12 months.
“What the force needs now is to ensure this improvement is maintained and sustainable.
“I have been particularly impressed with the pace of change over the last six to nine months, under the leadership of Chief Constable Mark Webster. He has now recruited a strong leadership team and has implemented plans to drive forward improvements in the long-term, addressing HMICFRS’ concerns about strategic leadership and planning.
“In the next month or so, Cleveland Police is set to reach its highest police officer numbers since 2014. I believe this is key to supporting the Chief Constable to deliver his plans and I am pleased this milestone has been achieved ahead of schedule, supported by the contributions from the policing precept made by our communities.
“Since I was elected, I have been quite open about the realistic timeframe I believe it will take to transform Cleveland Police into a good or outstanding police force. It’s clear this is a journey that will go beyond my first term of office.
“With an increased frontline workforce, a strong leadership team in place and clear plans for improvement, I believe the force has the momentum to continue on this positive path. I’m committed to seeing this journey through as Police and Crime Commissioner into the next election cycle and beyond.”