Norfolk PEEL 2016

Norfolk Constabulary is outstanding at preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe. It understands the threats facing its communities and combines the intelligence it holds with information from other organisations to keep this understanding up to date.

Its safer neighbourhood teams engage well with communities and have responsibility for keeping vulnerable people safe, particularly those who have been victims of crime. The force has introduced specialist officers to work with communities which may not traditionally have had much contact with or trust in the police. The safer schools partnership team provides an excellent service, working with all secondary schools to raise awareness of how young people can become the victims of crime.

The force is effective at working with other organisations to protect communities and victims. It continues to develop new approaches to joint working, for example the early help hubs.
Incidents of anti-social behaviour are falling, and the force uses a wide range of methods to support victims and encourage offenders to face up to their behaviour and the effect it has on others.

Norfolk Constabulary is good at investigating crime and managing offenders. Those answering calls from the public in the force’s control room are well trained and thorough in assessing calls for service.

Crime investigations are conducted to a high standard, and officers ensure evidence is collected and preserved effectively. Processes to track and arrest outstanding suspects and people who are wanted are very good. The introduction of a new crime-reporting system has presented some problems in the management of crime, and there were many investigations that were awaiting closure at the time of our visit.

Norfolk Constabulary has an impressive high-tech crime unit with Suffolk Constabulary and has invested in new technology and training to ensure that evidence can be secured from smartphones and other devices to support prosecutions.

The force is aware of the obligations to victims set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, and knowledge levels among frontline officers are good. The force has identified some areas where it is not fully compliant with the code and is addressing these through improved training. The force retains very high levels of victim satisfaction.

Norfolk Constabulary is good at protecting the public from the most prolific, serious and dangerous offenders. Its integrated offender management scheme is well managed and fully supported by other organisations.

Norfolk Constabulary is good at protecting those who are vulnerable from harm and supporting victims. Those in the control room are effective at identifying risk and deploy resources appropriately to incidents that involve people who are vulnerable, but the force needs to ensure that victims of domestic abuse awaiting an officer are not being exposed to harm.

The force responds well to the immediate and longer-term needs of vulnerable victims; it works closely with a variety of organisations to protect those who are vulnerable and support victims. Joint working arrangements to support victims of sexual and other offences where victims have particular needs are effective. However, the force should review its approach to missing and absent children.

Frontline officers follow a clear process to assess risk and support victims; the standards of initial investigations are thorough. There are some areas where more could be made of preventative legislation to support victims; this involves orders which prohibit further contact with victims and laws which allow the offending history of a perpetrator to be disclosed to a potential victim. There are unacceptable delays in the disclosure of information in some Clare’s Law cases.

Positive action is taken to arrest offenders whenever this is possible, and the force prosecutes more domestic abuse perpetrators than elsewhere in England and Wales. The public of Norfolk can be confident that a good service will be provided to victims of crime and it is clear that they have confidence in the service that the force provides.

Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies work together under the leadership of an assistant chief constable in providing an effective joint response to tackle serious and organised crime. A recently formed local organised crime joint board provides a focus for this task and brings a range of organisations together to disrupt organised crime. Local policing teams have an improved knowledge of organised crime within their communities, and enforcement activity against organised crime groups is common.

The force is taking steps to understand newer and emerging threats such as human trafficking and cyber-crime better. The force maps organised crime groups thoroughly in accordance with national guidance. Specialist support to disrupt serious and organised crime can be quickly accessed, and there are good links with the regional organised crime unit.

The force actively manages criminals by imposing conditions on their financial, property and business dealings.

The force works with communities to help prevent young people from being drawn into gangs or organised criminality but could do more to work with other organisations in the lifetime management of offenders.

Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies work together under the leadership of an assistant chief constable in providing an effective joint response to tackle serious and organised crime. A recently formed local organised crime joint board provides a focus for this task and brings a range of organisations together to disrupt organised crime. Local policing teams have an improved knowledge of organised crime within their communities, and enforcement activity against organised crime groups is common.

The force is taking steps to understand newer and emerging threats such as human trafficking and cyber-crime better. The force maps organised crime groups thoroughly in accordance with national guidance. Specialist support to disrupt serious and organised crime can be quickly accessed, and there are good links with the regional organised crime unit.

The force actively manages criminals by imposing conditions on their financial, property and business dealings.

The force works with communities to help prevent young people from being drawn into gangs or organised criminality but could do more to work with other organisations in the lifetime management of offenders.