North East police forces rated positively for their efficiency

All of the forces in our region have been praised for their efficiency in a report published today.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary assessed the forces against the themes of effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy.

Durham Constabulary was judged as 'outstanding' one of only two forces in England and Wales to be given the rating.

Inspectors found the force were excellent at understanding demand for services, both currently and in the future.

They said the force had also benefitted from collaborating with neighbouring forces and using good technology.

Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “To say I am delighted would be an understatement.

“In a climate of austerity we have proved that you can still achieve great things with fantastic people who are empowered to be creative and push the boundaries of what is possible.

“I am especially pleased because we are not only ‘outstanding’ at managing our resources, but we are also ‘outstanding’ at catching criminals and making our communities safer.

“I would like to thank everyone who works or volunteers for Durham Constabulary as well as the partner agencies who work with us. We are in such an enviable position and they should take the credit.

“However, we will not rest on our laurels and will continue to deliver the best service we can for the people of County Durham and Darlington.”

Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner Ron Hogg said, “I am delighted that for the second year in a row, Durham Constabulary has been given the highest possible rating for efficiency by HMIC. This is a tremendous tribute to everyone at the Force.

“The report shows that in Durham we have built a strong foundation to combat the changing nature of crime and keep communities safe. This is down to the creativity, drive and leadership shown by members of the force at every level.

“However we do not rest on our laurels - we know that there are still things we can be better at and will continue to learn from other forces so that we can deliver an outstanding service to the public.”

Northumbria, North Yorkshire and Cleveland Police were all deemed to be 'good' by HMIC.

Cleveland Police were praised for working with other forces and developing understanding of under reported crime like honour-based violence and child sexual exploitation.

The situation at Northumbria Police was praised for work around safeguarding and crime prevention, as well as understanding demand for services.

North Yorkshire Police received commendation for their ability to allocate officers and staff with the right skills to respond to demand.

Acting Deputy Chief Constable Paul Kennedy, of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“Providing an efficient and effective policing service for our communities is a crucial factor in keeping local people safe from harm and maintaining a high standard of living.

“The efficient use of resources allows North Yorkshire Police to give each and every person who requires our support a tailored, caring and victim-led service, often under the most difficult and distressing circumstances.

“It is therefore very pleasing that our efforts to continually improve have been recognised in the latest HMIC PEEL efficiency report, which has rated North Yorkshire Police as a ‘GOOD’ force which uses its resources well to keep people safe and to tackle crime.

“This is particularly so in the way we understand and manage a variety of demands using our now well-embedded ‘THRIVE’ model, based on assessing threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement for every call for service.

“HMIC once again highlights North Yorkshire Police’s track record in delivering savings while investing smartly to protect local neighbourhood policing teams and enhance front-line services across the area.

“This includes key investments in setting up a Cybercrime Unit and mobile ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology to aid specialist teams, such as the Road Crime Team and the Rural Taskforce, to actively target cross-border and travelling criminals.

“The ‘Evolve’ collaboration project with Cleveland Police and Durham Constabulary has also been noted in the report, which has seen the development a shared Dog Support Unit between the three forces and, just this week, the launch of a joint Major Investigation Team with Cleveland Police.

“Opportunities to collaborate with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue are also being explored by the Police and Crime Commissioner and the force, with the aim to achieve further efficiencies in the use of buildings and back-office services.

“Overall, the HMIC report shows that North Yorkshire Police is delivering a high quality and efficient service for the people we are proud to serve.

“We are determined to keep improving with a clear focus on a sustainable and successful future.

• “There will be no let-up in protecting North Yorkshire’s position as one of the very safest areas in the country.”*

North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said:

"Once again HMIC has rated North Yorkshire Police as 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime, and this is a clear indication that local residents can be confident that their force is well run and delivers good value for money.

"I would like to thank both officers and staff for their dedication in providing such a great service.

"The fact that we have been able to boost officer numbers while planning to deliver significant savings is a tribute to the good management we have here.

"But while I welcome this latest report from the HMIC, I want to make sure North Yorkshire Police keeps its stable financial footing. Given that, I will continue my campaign to make sure rural police forces like ours get a fair settlement from the Government, reflecting the unique challenges and costs of policing such a large and, in places, sparsely populated area."

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