Norfolk PEEL 2016

Norfolk Constabulary is continuing to provide a cost-effective and efficient service to the public that keeps people safe and reduces crime. The force’s understanding of current and future demand for its services is outstanding and has highly effective processes to continue to develop its understanding. It is involved in the Better Policing Collaborative, a joint venture involving a number of universities as well as the organisation Skills for Justice, which gives it a better understanding of what works and allows it to make future decisions based on strong evidence. It has effective processes to help it understand and lessen the likely effect on its services of reducing resources in other agencies it works with. The force has a clear focus on protecting the vulnerable and identifying those crimes that victims may be reluctant to report, such as domestic abuse and modern-day slavery. Through consultation with the public, the force has a good understanding of the public’s expectations.

The force is good at using its resources to manage current demand. It makes effective decisions about using its resources in line with police and crime commissioner and force priorities. Its collaboration with other police forces, emergency services and public-sector organisations to provide savings and better services to the public is impressive, and includes sharing premises, costs and staff. In a collaboration with Suffolk Constabulary, three large software platforms have been installed across both forces to improve interoperability, reduce costs and increase efficiencies. The force uses software to model demand and staffing levels, but it needs to continue to develop its understanding of its workforce’s capabilities and identify and swiftly address any gaps to ensure it has sufficient capacity and capability to manage demand. It has a good understanding of the costs of its services, and is working with external consultants to help it understand what its spending achieves. The force continues to look for ways to improve its efficiency and save money.

Norfolk Constabulary is good at planning for demand in the future. It has developed financial and organisational plans that are practicable, credible, based on sound planning assumptions and focused on changing the way the force provides and improves services for the public. However, the force needs to ensure that it has identified the future skills required by the workforce to implement these plans.

Norfolk Constabulary has an impressive record of collaborating with other police forces and other public-sector organisations such as Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, local councils and mental health practitioners to improve the services it delivers. Although it is good at realising the benefits of its investment in most areas, it needs to do more to realise fully the benefits from its investment in ICT. However, its ability to fully utilise mobile technology is hampered by poor 3G and 4G coverage in the region.