Warwickshire Police prevents crime well, but must improve its response to the public

Warwickshire Police is good at preventing and deterring crime, but it must improve how it responds to the public, the police inspectorate has said.

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PEEL 2023–2025: An inspection of Warwickshire Police

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Warwickshire Police’s performance across eight areas of policing. It found the constabulary was ‘good’ in two areas, ‘adequate’ in two areas, ‘requires improvement’ in three areas and ‘inadequate’ in one area.

HMICFRS found that the force had made sustained improvements in both 999 and 101 call handling. However, inspectors described serious concerns about how quickly the force responds after these calls have been answered. In its previous inspection, Warwickshire Police wasn’t attending incidents within expected timescales or updating victims about delays. Inspectors said that the force hasn’t improved in this area and is still failing to meet its own published targets.

The inspectorate said that the force is good at preventing and deterring crime, and reducing reoffending. It has a dedicated prevention hub which includes officers with specialist skills in crime prevention, who work with young people and are involved in civil interventions. The force has also demonstrated a commitment to problem-solving and has shown innovative practice in this area. For example, it has developed an app to help officers create problem-solving plans.

Inspectors also found that the force had improved how it investigates crime. As a result, it has increased the number of crimes closed where it has brought an offender to justice. However, the force needs to make sure that it takes all investigative opportunities and minimises investigation delays. It also needs to do more to make sure that all victims receive an appropriate level of service.

HMICFRS also said that the force should improve its governance and performance structures so it can quickly identify and address any potential harm to vulnerable people.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said:

“I have concerns about the performance of Warwickshire Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service. And I have serious concerns about how quickly the force responds to calls for service from the public.

“It was positive to see that the force has made progress in some areas. For example, we found sustained improvements in both 999 and 101 call handling. The force now answers most calls quickly. It has also improved the use of evidence-based policing and reduced reports of crime and antisocial behaviour in targeted hotspot areas.

“But we found inefficient processes and under-resourced departments were contributing to significant delays in the progression of investigations. I am also concerned about the effectiveness of the governance structures that oversee how well the force protects vulnerable people. It is evident that the force is committed to achieving this. However, given the scale of the changes required, this is still work in progress.

“In view of these findings, I will remain in regular contact with the chief constable and his team.”

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PEEL 2023–2025: An inspection of Warwickshire Police

Notes

  • For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
  • In 2014, we introduced our police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspections, which assess the performance of all 43 police forces in England and Wales. Since then, we have been continuously adapting our approach.
  • We have continued our intelligence-led, continual assessment approach, rather than the annual PEEL inspections we used in previous years.
  • We have also changed our approach to graded judgments. We now assess forces against the characteristics of good performance, and we more clearly link our judgments to causes of concern and areas for improvement.
  • It isn’t possible to make direct comparisons between the grades awarded in this PEEL inspection and those from the previous cycle of PEEL inspections. This is because we have increased our focus on making sure forces are achieving appropriate outcomes for the public, and in some cases we have changed the aspects of policing we inspect.
  • Read more information about the PEEL assessment framework 2023-2025.