Lincolnshire Police needs to improve integrity arrangements to maintain public confidence
Lincolnshire Police must do more to improve its professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements to maintain public confidence, the police inspectorate has said.
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A report into the effectiveness of integrity arrangements in Lincolnshire Police
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assessed the effectiveness of Lincolnshire Police in three areas.
Inspectors graded the force ‘adequate’ in its vetting of police officers and staff but said it ‘requires improvement’ in both tackling counter-corruption and upholding professional standards.
HMICFRS found that the force’s vetting unit and its HR department work together effectively to predict demand of vetting applications. This includes monitoring the progress of all recruitment and promotion processes and new applications. However, inspectors said effective risk mitigation strategies must be followed if any adverse information is identified, to reduce any potential risks to the force.
The force takes steps to improve the workforce’s awareness of the expected standards of professional behaviour. But HMICFRS said that the force needs to improve its processes for the collection, sharing and evaluation of organisational learning relating to the standards of professional behaviour. For example, investigators rarely record learning from cases, and data collected by the professional standards department doesn’t include all complaints. This means the force is missing opportunities to identify and act on trends, address concerns and make improvements.
HMICFRS said the force’s initial handling of complaints and conduct matters doesn’t always comply with statutory guidance. There is a lack of oversight of the complaints dealt with, making it difficult to comment on the fairness and consistency of decision-making in certain cases. The force also needs to improve the level of service it provides to complainants.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Roy Wilsher said:
“Public interest in police behaviour is high. There is an increased focus from the Government and police on improving vetting, challenging misconduct and tackling corruption.
“This in turn, increases the demand on those working in force vetting units, professional standards departments and counter-corruption units. Their work is essential to make sure the right people join the police service, and all officers and staff continue to work with integrity.
“Lincolnshire Police manages its vetting workload well, effectively managing and predicting demand. While it has effective governance in its professional standards department and the standard of its corruption investigations are good, improvements are needed here.
“For example, the force’s counter-corruption control strategy is missing some significant control measures we would have expected to see.
It also needs to improve how it responds to complaints and conduct allegations and assess some of its vetting arrangements.
“We will continue to monitor the force’s progress.”
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A report into the effectiveness of integrity arrangements in Lincolnshire Police
Notes
- For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
- In autumn 2023, HMICFRS paused our rolling inspection programme assessing the effectiveness of vetting and counter-corruption arrangements in police forces in England and Wales.
- We have now developed an integrity inspection programme that also examines force professional standards.