Lancashire PEEL 2015

Lancashire Constabulary is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, and keeping people safe.

The constabulary has an effective way of providing neighbourhood policing which allows staff to carry out their main role being rarely moved to other duties. It has a commitment to make neighbourhood policing in Lancashire ‘everyone’s job’ in the constabulary, and is making good use of volunteers. The constabulary hopes that this approach will support the sustainability of local policing while also reducing its workforce numbers.

The constabulary considers prevention to be essential and undertakes an effective range of prevention activity. It makes good use of traditional and innovative problem-solving policing methods with partners and volunteers. However, the constabulary does not routinely evaluate all problem-solving activity and this leaves a gap in being able to capture lessons learnt.

The level and success of partnership working through the Early Action programme, and the constabulary’s move with other organisations to integrated public services is impressive.

Lancashire Constabulary’s approach to investigating crime and managing offenders is good.

Procedures for initial investigation work well, although more could be done to make the most of evidential opportunities. The process for allocating crimes and the subsequent quality of investigation is good. Victims are kept informed of the progress of investigations. The constabulary makes good use of restorative justice. Staff are well trained, the majority properly qualified with continuous professional development in place. The force prioritises its response to locate and arrest those offenders wanted for the most serious crimes, but requires better oversight of those offenders wanted for less serious offences to ensure a timely arrest.

The constabulary provides effective forensic support to frontline staff. Its digital media investigation unit prioritises cases effectively and has a satisfactory turnaround of digital evidence for investigations.

The constabulary identifies vulnerable offenders and tries to divert them from further offending. The constabulary’s integrated offender management models vary, but all work well with partner organisations to identify, monitor and work to prevent further offending and keep people safe.

Lancashire Constabulary has made good progress in putting clear processes in place to identify repeat and vulnerable victims. The force makes accurate assessments of the risks they face and its response to them is consistent. HMIC judges the force’s performance to be good.

The force works effectively with partner organisations. Multi-agency structures bring together a range of service providers from the statutory and charity sectors to consider risk and to provide tailored support to victims in Lancashire. The constabulary’s proactive and continuous assessment of an individual’s needs and its rapid devising of support programmes ensures it provides a good service to vulnerable people.

The force has invested in specialist teams with the sole remit of investigating child sexual exploitation cases. These teams have made headway in targeting organised crime groups whose objective is to coerce vulnerable young children into sexual activity.

The force has made progress in response to recommendations made by HMIC in 2014 regarding its approach domestic abuse. In particular the quality and supervision of its risk assessments have improved. The constabulary still has work to do to ensure that frontline officers understand the full range of safeguarding routes for domestic abuse victims for the constabulary to achieve performance that HMIC grades as outstanding. They also need to understand more about controlling and coercive behaviour in the context of domestic abuse.

Lancashire Constabulary is good at identifying and understanding the threat and risk posed by serious and organised crime to the communities of Lancashire. This is the first year HMIC has graded forces on their effectiveness at tackling serious and organised crime, including a force’s arrangements for ensuring that it can fulfil its national policing responsibilities, so no year-on-year comparison is possible.

Lancashire Constabulary has an effective process of identifying and tackling serious and organised crime groups operating within its boundaries. This activity is well managed and well led, through meeting structures within the constabulary at strategic and local level, and with partners.

The constabulary has an effective working relationship with the regional organised crime unit and with other forces across the region. It works well with partners to share intelligence and disrupt serious and organised crime through an established approach. HMIC found effective processes in place to deter people from serious and organised crime, and further plans in place to enhance this work.

Lancashire Constabulary has the necessary arrangements in place to ensure that it can fulfil its national policing responsibilities.