Norfolk PEEL 2017
Effectiveness
How effective is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?
How effective is the force at preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe?
This question was not inspected in 2017. The grade and findings from last year’s inspection still stand.
How effective is the force at investigating crime and reducing re-offending?
This question was not inspected in 2017. The grade and findings from last year’s inspection still stand.
How effective is the force at protecting those who are vulnerable from harm, and supporting victims?
Norfolk Constabulary:
- consistently identifies vulnerable people when they first contact the police;
- provides a good initial response to incidents involving vulnerable people; and
- satisfactorily investigates crimes involving vulnerable people.
The force has strong and well-developed working relationships with partner organisations, such as local authorities, public sector agencies and charities. The force clearly understands its role in supporting people with mental health conditions.
This means it can:
- provide vulnerable people with a co-ordinated and effective response and ongoing support; and
- address their needs appropriately.
However, the force needs to:
- ensure that there is appropriate supervision in place to consistently monitor the quality and progress of investigations that involve vulnerable victims; and
- review its use of domestic violence protection orders and notices (DVPOs and DVPNs), and of Clare’s Law, to ensure it is making best use of these powers to safeguard victims of domestic abuse.
The force arrests a high proportion of domestic abuse suspects compared with other forces in England and Wales.
The force is suitably prepared to manage the registered sex offenders in the county. Local officers have a good knowledge of these offenders, and understand the importance of submitting intelligence about them.
Areas for improvement
- The force should ensure that appropriate supervision is put in place consistently to monitor the quality and progress of investigations involving vulnerable people.
- The force should review its use of DVPOs/DVPNs and Clare’s Law to ensure it is making best use of these powers to safeguard victims of domestic abuse.
How effective is the force at tackling serious and organised crime?
This question was not inspected in 2017. The grade and findings from last year’s inspection still stand.
How effective are the force’s specialist capabilities?
National threats often require forces to work together, across force boundaries. These threats include terrorism, large-scale disorder and civil emergencies. We examined the capabilities in place to respond to these threats, in particular a firearms attack.
Most positively, the force:
- works constructively with Suffolk Constabulary to build skills and competence in this area;
- tests its skills in training exercises; and
- has developed a good understanding of the threat to the public from an armed attack.
However, the force should:
- complete its analysis of the time taken for armed officers to attend incidents.