Humberside Police Chief not "complacent" following report from inspector
The force is "outstanding" at preventing crime and protecting vulnerable people, but it needs to "improve" the way it investigates crime
The Chief Constable at Humberside Police tells us they're not "complacent" following the latest inspection by the regulator.
The force was found to be "outstanding at preventing crime and protecting vulnerable people", but it "needs to improve" the way it investigates crime, the police inspectorate has said.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Humberside Police performance across eight areas of policing. It found the force was ‘outstanding’ in three areas, ‘good’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in one area.
HMICFRS said that while the force has been working hard at preventing and deterring crime, it has also been innovative in its use of technology to become more efficient, freeing up its workforce to focus on its priorities.
Humber Talking, which gives the community an opportunity to tell the police what they think police priorities should be and the problems they face, was also praised in the report. Inspectors found that 36 percent of its population (215,000 households) have already registered and are using it.
However, the inspectorate said the force needs to improve the way it investigates crime, as it found that some investigations aren’t supervised properly or aren’t thorough enough.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: “I congratulate Humberside Police on its performance in keeping people safe, reducing crime and giving victims an effective service.
"This is thanks to the hard work of officers, staff and volunteers in helping the force to succeed.
“I was pleased to find that the force has kept up its performance in several areas since our last inspection.
"The force’s data, strategic planning, and governance and performance arrangements help it match resources to the demand it faces. I am particularly impressed with how the force uses technology to become more efficient.
“But to provide a consistently good service, it needs to improve some aspects.
The force needs to make improvements to the quality and supervision of its investigations. This will make sure victims get the justice they deserve.
“However, I have become concerned about a lack of stability in the chief officer team and among other senior leaders. And I am concerned about how this may negatively affect the force’s performance and culture now and in the future.
“I will be closely monitoring the changes to make sure the force continues to provide a good service to the public. ”We're actually talking to staff and seeing what's getting in the way.
The Chief Constable at the force, Judi Heaton, tells us work's already underway to fix issues that have been highlighted in the report: "
"We know there's a lot of bureaucracy and a lot of IT systems that we have to input data into, so we've got a programme at the moment where we're working with frontline officers and we're going to streamline the process as much as possible."
Jonathan Evison, Police and Crime Commissioner said “It is really encouraging to see such a positive report from HMICFRS for Humberside Police.
"These grades reflect the continued hard work of Police Officers, Police Staff and Volunteers. My thanks go to everyone for their hard work and dedication to the public.
"Humberside Police remain the highest graded Police Force in the country, and that is something I am really proud of. However, as your public representative, I know there is no room for complacency, I will continue to support and challenge the force, via the Chief Constable, to ensure continuous improvement for the public and victims.”