Suffolk Police told to make improvements by regulator
Investigators looked at nine areas of Policing and found the Constabulary's work wasn't up to scratch in three areas
Last updated 4th Oct 2023
Suffolk Police need to improve how it responds to the public and protects vulnerable victims- according to the national inspectorate
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Suffolk Constabulary’s performance across nine areas of policing.
They found the constabulary was good in three areas, adequate in three areas, requires improvement in two areas and inadequate in one area.
HMICFRS said the constabulary works well with communities - including those that are seldom-heard - to gather information to set and address local priorities.
It also said the constabulary has improved its ability to achieve well-supervised, better-quality investigations.
However, the inspectorate said the constabulary needs to improve its response to the public, particularly the time it takes to answer emergency and non-emergency calls.
It also said that Suffolk Constabulary must ensure processes are in place to safeguard victims effectively.
"There are areas in which it needs to improve"
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said:
“I am pleased with some aspects of the performance of Suffolk Constabulary in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service.
“However, there are areas in which it needs to improve. I have concerns about how the constabulary is responding to the public and have been in contact with the chief constable as I do not underestimate how much improvement is needed.
“The constabulary had a change in leadership in the six months leading up to our inspection, and it’s clear that the new team has a clear objective, focusing on workforce culture, behaviour and standards.
“I am pleased with the way the constabulary has responded to my concerns, and I will be monitoring progress closely.”
"The report has actually reinforced a lot of the work we had in train"
Rachel Kearton is Chief Constable at Suffolk Police:
"The benefit of having an independent organisation come in and look at the Constabulary, gives us a view as what the public are interested in.
"It also shows us where we are doing well and where we need to improve. The report has actually reinforced a lot of the work we had in train.
"The transformation programme is already in place to improve the areas, we can do better in.
"The public interface and engagement across communities in Suffolk has always been second to none- that's nationally recognised. I thank the public for their support".