In 2023–2025, we carried out a PEEL inspection of Dorset Police. PEEL stands for police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy.
We inspected how well the force performed in several areas of policing. Most of these areas were then graded as outstanding, good, adequate, requires improvement or inadequate.
Find out more about Dorset Police
More information about the PEEL assessments
Our inspection assessed how good Dorset Police is in ten areas of policing. We make graded judgments in nine of these ten as follows:
We also inspected how effective a service Dorset Police gives to victims of crime. We don’t make a graded judgment for this area.
We set out our detailed findings about things the force is doing well and where the force should improve in the rest of this report.
We also assess the force’s performance in a range of other areas and we report on these separately. We make graded judgments for some of these areas.
In 2014, we introduced our police efficiency, effectiveness 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 moved to a more intelligence-led, continual assessment approach, rather than the annual PEEL inspections we used in previous years. Forces are assessed against the characteristics of good performance, set out in the PEEL Assessment Framework 2023–2025, 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.
Our reports contain references to, among other things, ‘national’ definitions, priorities, policies, systems, responsibilities and processes.
In some instances, ‘national’ means applying to England or Wales, or England and Wales. In others, it means applying to England, Wales and Scotland, or the whole of the United Kingdom.
I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Dorset Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service. But there are areas in which the force needs to improve.
Dorset Police is good at recording crime. We carried out an audit of this for our inspection, which showed a 100 percent compliance rate for recording of rape offences, and a 95.1 percent rate for all crime (excluding fraud). While I commend the force on this performance, it needs to improve its recording of equality data.
The majority of stop and search cases we examined had reasonable grounds recorded. But the force has much to do to improve its internal scrutiny. Also, while there is a small improvement in its disproportionality, it is still high compared to other forces in England and Wales. I recognise the work completed by the force which has resulted in a recognition of institutional racism and a plan to move forward. The force must build on this work to allow it to put processes in place to reduce the likelihood of Black British members of the community being stopped and searched in Dorset.
I am pleased with how the force communicates with its communities and reduces harm caused by antisocial behaviour. It has tailored its work to meet the needs of different communities and has developed strong partnerships that work well in applying antisocial behaviour legislation. For example, its 100 days of summer initiative, where officers patrol with designated officers from both local authorities, to reduce antisocial behaviour. There are relatively low levels of deprivation in Dorset and the force has sustained its good performance in preventing and deterring crime. But its recording of antisocial behaviour needs to improve.
Since our last inspection in 2021/22, the force hasn’t made the improvements we would expect in its investigations. The force needs to improve its supervision and keep victims updated. It has begun work to increase the number of investigators but must do more to retain them and to make sure that crime is allocated to appropriately qualified investigators.
While there is some improvement in how Dorset Police responds to the public, it is still an area that I have concerns about. It needs to improve how long it takes to respond to incidents at all levels and the percentage of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds is still too low. The number of 999 calls the force receives is in line with other forces in England and Wales while the number of 101 calls is relatively low. The 101 call abandonment rate is better than some forces but still too high for a force that operates a switchboard. The number of offences is in line with other forces. I am pleased with the way the force has reacted to our immediate concerns raised following our victim service assessments. It is evident that the force is making improvements. We will monitor progress in those areas.
The force has maintained its performance in other areas apart from how it supports its workforce. We found some pressures being experienced in the workforce and a lack of resource within its occupational health department to offer support at the earliest opportunity.
Performance data is of high quality, with clear summaries for senior leaders so they have the information they need to make informed decisions. But the force has a high number of change programmes that it lacks the capacity to carry out. It needs to assess what it requires to effectively police in the communities of Dorset and make sure that change programmes are relevant and supportive of those priorities.
The force has carried out work to understand disproportionality which identified some cultural and leadership issues. I am pleased to see that the chief officer team has committed to addressing these findings and putting things right. Dorset Police is open to acting on the improvements identified in this inspection. I will monitor its progress in addressing the findings of this report.
HM Inspector of Constabulary
Using the College of Policing leadership standards as a framework, in this section we set out the most important findings relating to the force’s leadership at all levels.
The chief officer team at Dorset Police has clear priorities, which are widely communicated throughout the force.
Leaders assess their teams’ performance against outcomes and priorities. Effective governance and planning processes are in place. The chief officer group’s decisions are effectively communicated to officers and staff, supporting a consistent approach to policing in the force. Officers and staff think the chief constable and other senior leaders are visible and accessible.
Senior leaders are committed to developing leadership at all levels and a leadership programme is in place. There is additional support for officers and staff entering leadership roles.
Dorset Police identifies and manages the challenges it faces well. This is evidenced by its positive approach to managing its financial challenges, such as introducing the mutually agreed resignation scheme. We found an increased scrutiny of performance compared to our last inspection, with a focus on improving services and achieving savings. This has included implementing a mutually agreed resignation scheme. We found that the force communicated effectively with its workforce regarding this issue.
The force has good oversight of data on new recruits and provides effective support to student officers, which has resulted in high levels of officer and staff retention.
The most significant challenges for senior leaders are reducing the disproportionality in the use of police powers, making sure officers and staff attend incidents on time, and improving the quality of investigations. The force is redesigning its operating model and investing in developing the capability and capacity of the workforce.
The force hasn’t effectively addressed some areas of performance we identified in our 2021/22 report. These include disproportionality in the use of stop and search powers and understanding how its officers use force.
More detail on Dorset Police’s leadership is included in the main body of the report.
The reducing crime assessment sets out what Dorset Police is doing to reduce crime and how effective this action is. This assessment doesn’t include police recorded crime figures. This is because they can be affected by variations and changes in recording policy and practice, making it difficult to draw comparisons over time.
Neighbourhood policing and problem-solving is a priority for the force. It invests in early intervention to reduce and prevent crime. It works well with other organisations to develop long-term and sustainable plans to find the root cause of problems and make changes that will help make communities safer and prevent crime.
The force’s neighbourhood policing teams work well with communities to understand and meet their needs. There is also a strong partnership approach which shares information and resources.
When crimes take place, officers and staff take positive action to arrest offenders. But investigations need better supervision. The force still needs to do more to consistently achieve appropriate outcomes for victims.
Dorset Police is improving its use of ancillary orders, such as Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Domestic Violence Protection Orders, and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme to reduce risks posed to vulnerable people.
The force uses analysis at force-level meetings to understand and improve its use of stop and search powers. Effective independent scrutiny is in place. But the force must improve its local scrutiny so that it can show its use of stop and search is fair and effective.
The force should continue to improve how quickly it answers 999 calls and reduce the number of times callers abandon non-emergency 101 calls. It also needs to respond to incidents within published timescales and update callers if there is likely to be a delay.
More detail on what Dorset Police is doing to reduce crime is included in the main body of the report.
This section describes our assessment of the service Dorset Police provides to victims. This is from the point of reporting a crime and throughout the investigation. As part of this assessment, we reviewed 100 case files.
When the police close a case of a reported crime, they assign it an ‘outcome type’. This describes the reason for closing it.
We selected 100 cases to review, including at least 20 that the force had closed with the following outcome type:
Although our victim service assessment is ungraded, it influences graded judgments in the other areas we have inspected.
The force needs to improve the time it takes to answer emergency calls. It also needs to reduce the number of non-emergency calls where the caller hangs up before the call is answered. In their calls, call handlers don’t always use a structured process that assesses threat, harm, risk and vulnerability. And call handlers don’t always identify repeat victims. This means that they don’t always know the victim’s circumstances when considering what response the force should give. Call handlers are polite but don’t always give victims advice on crime prevention and how to preserve evidence.
On most occasions, the force responds to calls for service appropriately. But sometimes it doesn’t respond within its target timescales. The force doesn’t always inform victims of delays, meaning that it doesn’t always meet their expectations. This may cause victims to lose confidence and stop working with the force.
The force has effective crime-recording processes. It records most crimes correctly and promptly.
We set out more details in the ‘Recording data about crime’ section of this report.
In most cases, the force investigates crimes in a timely way, but it doesn’t always complete relevant and proportionate lines of enquiry. The force doesn’t always supervise investigations well or keep victims regularly updated. Victims are more likely to have confidence in a police investigation when they receive regular updates.
A thorough investigation increases the likelihood of perpetrators being identified and arrested, providing a positive result for the victim. The force takes victim personal statements, which give victims the opportunity to describe how that crime has affected their lives.
When victims withdraw support for an investigation, the force doesn’t always consider progressing the case. This can be an important way of safeguarding the victim and preventing further offences from being committed. The force doesn’t always record whether it considers using orders designed to protect victims, such as a Domestic Violence Protection Notice or Domestic Violence Protection Order.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime requires forces to carry out a needs assessment at an early stage to determine whether victims need additional support. The force doesn’t always carry out these assessments or record all requests for additional support.
The force doesn’t always close crimes with the appropriate outcome type or record a clear rationale for using a certain outcome and this isn’t always effectively supervised. It doesn’t ask all victims for their views when deciding which outcome type to assign to a closed investigation, and it doesn’t always inform them of what outcome code has been assigned. The force also isn’t always able to provide an auditable record of victim’s wishes.
Dorset Police is good at recording crime.
The Home Office Counting Rules, which provide the standard for crime recording in England and Wales, have changed since the last time we inspected the force for crime data integrity.
This change mainly relates to the way forces record violent crime. This means we can no longer statistically compare the findings from this audit to those from previous audits.
We estimate that Dorset Police is recording 95.1 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 2.3 percent) of all reported crime (excluding fraud).
We estimate that the force is recording 93.6 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 4.5 percent) of violent offences.
We estimate that the force is recording 98.1 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 2.3 percent) of sexual offences.
The force is failing to record most crimes when victims report antisocial behaviour. We examined 49 incidents classed as antisocial behaviour personal. Of these, 16 crimes should have been recorded, but only 6 were. Victims of antisocial behaviour experience abuse and torment for substantial periods of time. Failing to record crimes and tackle antisocial behaviour can mean victims live in fear in their homes and experience long-term abuse and torment by people living next door or elsewhere in the local community.
The force’s data for victims of crime shows that age and gender are well recorded. But ethnicity is less well recorded and other protected characteristics aren’t well recorded. The force should collect this information to understand how each protected group is affected by crime, how this differs from those without the protected characteristics, and whether a different approach is needed for these victims.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to crime data integrity.
The force records rape offences effectively. Rape is one of the most serious crimes a victim can experience. It is important that crimes are recorded accurately to make sure victims receive the service and support they expect and deserve. We found that the force had received 27 reports of rape and had recorded them all correctly.
The force doesn’t always record crimes against vulnerable victims. We examined 68 cases involving vulnerable victims. Of these, 19 crimes should have been recorded but only 15 were actually recorded. Two of the unrecorded crimes were burglaries and another was a case of domestic abuse involving controlling and coercive behaviour. When the crimes weren’t recorded, there was usually no investigation. Failure to record these crimes can result in offenders not being identified or brought to justice and victims not receiving the service they deserve.
Dorset Police requires improvement at using police powers and treating people fairly and respectfully.
Dorset Police doesn’t have sufficient internal scrutiny on its use of force to identify opportunities to learn and improve. Supervisors told us that they don’t have a process to review use of force, and that the systems used to record this activity lack investment. Dorset Police don’t effectively monitor when officers use body‑worn video to record use of force incidents.
The force needs to make sure that there is a sufficiently understood and adhered‑to process to review footage where officers record use of force incidents on video. The force told us that supervisors are required to carry out one dip sample a month where an officer uses force, which would result in about 22 reviews per month. At the time of our inspection, approximately 8.4 reviews were taking place per month.
We were told that the lack of use of force reviews is because the force can’t get enough sergeants out on the frontline to complete them. Despite some reviews being completed, the results aren’t used by the force to better understand their use of the power. There is no assessment of the circumstances surrounding officers’ use of force; for example, we found a lack of analysis of the officer’s justification for using force. The only analysis is based on statistical data. If the circumstances around use of force are not reviewed, the force won’t identify areas for improvement. The force told us that there have been no improvements implemented because of internal scrutiny.
Supervisors should review the footage to make sure interactions are lawful, fair and respectful, and reviews should inform wider scrutiny and learning to improve the force’s understanding of how officers use their powers. The force should make sure that the process of monthly review is consistent to lead the improvements required. And the force should consider how to improve scrutiny at the frontline supervisory level.
We found the IT system that the force uses to record stop and search encounters doesn’t allow officers to record use of force. The force is reliant upon officers completing a separate form. Officers often submit forms with data fields missing. The force is trying to address this by making sure all officers know about the requirements, but in the long term it needs to improve the IT system. The force told us an IT solution would resolve this in early 2025.
As a result, Dorset Police doesn’t have sufficient data to support an understanding of when it uses force. And we found that the force understanding of stop and search encounters was incomplete, as some data sets that would provide that understanding weren’t available. For example, in our stop and search audit, which looked at data for the year ending 31 May 2024, we found 308 records with ‘Unknown’ (not stated or refused) self-defined ethnicity. This means that self‑defined ethnicity was ‘Unknown’ for 15 percent of records where any self‑defined ethnicity information was recorded.
It is important that the force gathers accurate data to understand how its officers are using their powers. This will help it to improve performance and allow it to publish correct data. Senior leaders have shared their plans with us which should resolve this problem.
Disproportionality refers to whether different groups of people are affected by police action in different ways. For example, in Dorset in the year ending 31 March 2024, Black or Black British people were 9.4 times more likely to be stopped and searched than White people. This is lower than the figure of 13.8 for the previous year but is still higher than the figure of 3.6 across all of England and Wales for the same time period.
In the year ending 31 March 2023, people from ethnic minority backgrounds made up 16.9 percent of use of force incidents compared to 11.3 percent of arrests and only 5.9 percent of the local population. This may indicate that the force is using force disproportionately on people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
We found that the force records some data on disproportionality and examines that data in internal monitoring meetings. The data is broken down into certain groups, including ethnic background and age. This information is shared with local policing areas so that officers can better understand disproportionality in their area. We saw evidence of actions being taken as a result of this, but we couldn’t see that the force has carried out deep dives into stop and search disproportionality, and we were told that no work had been completed to understand use of force disproportionality. During our audit we found that in 15 percent of the records reviewed, self-defined ethnicity was unknown (not stated or refused). This means that the force is unable to fully understand a complete ethnicity data set for the use of this power.
While this is an area that the force is aware of and working to improve, it should make sure that officers record ethnicity data in all stop and search incidents.
The force told us that it has implemented a learning package for stop and search, with 80 percent of officers completing the training. It has also carried out ‘Let’s talk about race’ focus groups with a good level of attendance. In the year ending March 2024, there was a thematic assessment of use of force, and those officers using this power against people from an ethnic minority background on a regular basis. This was referred to as ‘Power FEW’, which looks at the submission of use of force, who is using it, where they are using it, and who they are using it against. It also looked at the demographics. The data informing this piece was collected by manually trawling through the existing data, rather than using a system that can extract and present the information more efficiently and, therefore, more frequently.
Despite this work, the likelihood of Black or Black British people being stopped and searched remains high in Dorset and the force needs to do more work to address this concern. It is important that the force understands what contributes to disproportionality.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to police powers and treating people fairly and respectfully.
During our inspection, we reviewed a sample of 199 stop and search records from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2024. From this sample, we estimate that 87.9 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 4.3 percentage points) of all stop and searches carried out by the force during this period had reasonable grounds. This is similar to the findings from our previous review of records from 1 January to 31 December 2020, where we found 82.8 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 5.0 percentage points) of stop and searches carried out by Dorset Police had reasonable grounds. Of the records we reviewed for stop and searches on people who self-identify as from an ethnic minority background, 24 out of 33 had reasonable grounds.
The force reviews all stop and search forms through a supervisory review, and we saw examples of quality reviews on some records. There is more compliance with the expected monthly body-worn video dip samples for stop and search than there is for use of force. Between November 2023 and November 2024, sergeants completed 265 stop and search reviews (this equates to 22 reviews a month across the force). Of these, 96 percent had body-worn video but the sergeants reviewed the footage for only 79 percent of them.
The force should make sure that the recording of reasonable grounds continues to improve.
Dorset Police trains its workforce on how to manage interactions with the public.
This training includes:
The force’s professional standards department has given awareness training to learn lessons from well-reported misconduct cases. It is instrumental in supporting the force’s aims to improve standards and public service.
During our inspection, we attended training sessions and spoke to officers there. They were able to tell us how the training helped their interactions with the public. They also knew that they should proactively identify and tell other officers and staff about incidents that relate to vulnerable members of the public or issues of officer safety.
The way police treat people while exercising their powers has a direct effect on the public’s confidence in policing. In July 2024, we reviewed body-worn video footage of 20 stop and search encounters with the public. We found that in most cases the officers are friendly and treat people with dignity and respect.
The force has an external scrutiny panel for stop and search and use of force. The panel has an independent chair who is supported by community members who all receive training to prepare them for the role. Part of this group are also officers who volunteer to attend.
Attendees are prepared for their role with training sessions and the opportunity of a ‘ride-along’ with a police officer to observe policing first-hand. We found the panels were well attended, and the membership was diverse with representation from different age groups, genders, and ethnicities which are representative of the communities in Dorset.
In each meeting, they view up to 20 body-worn video records of a stop and search or use of force encounter. The panel reviews a high number of body-worn video by splitting into separate groups. Each group gives commentary on what they see to the officers involved, and findings are published on the force website. The force is looking to increase the range and diversity of feedback it receives through its independent advisory groups. Dorset Police will monitor this as it gathers pace.
During our inspection, we found that not all officers knew about the scrutiny panels. We also found that the force tracks feedback from scrutiny to develop improvements, but it wasn’t evident that training had been improved as a result. Some of the officers we spoke to during our fieldwork didn’t know about feedback as a result of scrutiny. Many also didn’t know the panel findings were publicised.
Dorset Police is good at prevention and deterrence.
Dorset Police introduced the ‘No Excuse’ road safety campaign to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads throughout Dorset. The ‘No Excuse’ team operates seven days a week and consists of one sergeant, six police constables and two police staff enquiry officers, supported by a team of special constables. These constables receive specialist training, including fast roads training. The team also supports education and enforcement efforts to tackle the ‘fatal five’: drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, driver distractions and careless driving, as well as supporting new recruits with training and advice.
The force has carried out a review of the outcomes of this work and told us that the special constables have added value to the force through their involvement.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to prevention and deterrence.
We found that Dorset Police is committed to neighbourhood policing. The force works well with partners, such as health and both local authorities. At partnership meetings, detailed discussions take place about problems, information, data and intelligence. There is also a clear process in place to direct activity to prevent and deter crime. To support this, the force has produced an intelligence requirement slide which partner organisations can access by QR code. This helps them to submit relevant intelligence quickly. An example of this being used effectively is Operation Navette, the force’s approach to national disorder in July and August 2024. Dorset Police and partner organisations developed information and intelligence that allowed it to deploy neighbourhood resources to effectively respond to disorder.
The force’s neighbourhood teams identify additional targeted resources to help communities tackle the specific issues that are important to them, such as antisocial behaviour, hotspot patrols and enforcement activity. For example, following a community impact statement, the force worked with partners to target a specific address to reduce disturbances, mainly antisocial behaviour. This resulted in two injunctions against the occupants.
We observed a good level of interaction and collaboration between Dorset Police and partner organisations at joint meetings that we attended. Partners included the local authority as well as housing, health and others. All partners at these meetings were required to give an update on the actions they had taken following previous meetings, and were encouraged to share information effectively. Partners and police discussed powers such as Criminal Behaviour Orders, Community Protection Warnings and Domestic Violence Protection Notices. One notable example we saw was the use of such orders to manage a prolific offender. Housing officers had advised that this individual had moved out of the Dorset area. The chair made sure that the attendees at the meeting had taken steps to update the new police area on the management of this offender. This was both from a safeguarding and supporting perspective and to make sure that the new force knew about the potential for increased offending.
We also saw other examples of effective joint working with partner organisations. For example, the partnership community group meeting we attended discussed an individual who had been causing issues on the high street. A history was presented, and also additional CCTV footage was available. This individual was issued a dispersal order, which resulted in a breach and the person being arrested for multiple offences.
Operation Luscombe is a joint initiative that works to reduce antisocial behaviour associated with street drinking. There is a focus on the use of Community Protection Notices, people are monitored, and behaviour and interactions are reported back to the meetings. They are all reviewed and discussed at partnership meetings with effective updates and closures.
Data shows that Dorset Police frequently use Antisocial Behaviour Orders. In the year ending 31 March 2024, Dorset Police had issued 113 Criminal Behaviour Orders, used dispersal powers on 506 occasions and carried out 11 antisocial behaviour case reviews.
Dorset Police has a wide range of initiatives that provide early intervention to deter and reduce crime. During the summer period the force runs an operation called ‘100 days of summer’. This aims to reduce antisocial behaviour and crimes such as shop theft and focuses on the increased demand caused by a transient population. We found that the force worked effectively with partners and that there was clear communication with local businesses to reduce theft. The force told us that it saw a reduction in offences this year as a result of this work.
The force also initiated ‘Beach Beat’, an operation carried out in the summer due to a rise of sexual assaults in busier coastal areas. This involved increasing overt patrols and giving local lifeguards enhanced training to recognise signs of predatory behaviour. The force told us that it saw an increase in the reporting of sexual offences as a result of this initiative.
Dorset Police takes part in Operation Sceptre, a national policing week in which all 43 forces and British Transport Police work together to tackle knife crime. The police and crime commissioner funded the purchase of knife wands for every police car and two knife arches. These are metal detectors that the force can take to key locations to educate and for policing purposes. The force works well with schools, colleges and universities to give talks to young people and adults about knife crime.
The force has recently invested in a mobile station to support policing in areas that are rural or harder to reach areas. We were told that neighbourhood officers in the county have also started a programme of work to hold face-to-face conversations with members of the community who are otherwise hard to reach. For example, police community support officers (PCSOs) deliver paper copies of newsletters containing relevant community information to those that don’t have access to social media. This is a proactive attempt to make sure they are spoken to and heard.
The force has officers who work within local neighbourhoods. These officers gather and review intelligence and activity to support neighbourhood priorities and effective communication with the residents of Dorset. The force also considers how it can support communities using wider resources and assets. We found that the force makes effective use of independent advisory groups. For example, Dorset Police created an independent advisory group to work with the travelling community to understand why some members of the community don’t want to work with the force.
The force is creative in how it extends support, such as the donation of 40 defibrillators to the charity AEDdonate. It also told us about a positive approach to working with the community during Operation Navette. In this operation, neighbourhood officers worked closely with partner organisations and local communities to reduce potential disorder.
The force has an interactive map on its website. This allows members of the public to find the nearest police station. Dorset Police has also improved its membership of Dorset Alert. This system allows the force to send messages with information and guidance directly to the people who need to see them, with options to send messages to precise areas such as certain beat codes. The force told us that in the 12 months to 31 August 2024, nearly a thousand new users have joined Dorset Alert. In October 2024, a total of 22,146 members of the public had signed up to receive messages from the force.
The force has a well-established citizen in policing programme and supports its volunteers well. The force has detailed data on how it uses its volunteers and can show the value that volunteers add. It told us that the use of volunteers has added a financial value of £102,259.
The force has invested in volunteers, including by supplying personal laptops and body-worn video to the special constabulary. This has helped the special constabulary to carry out a range of duties, not only in the response and neighbourhood functions of each local area but also in roads policing. They receive training for their roles and can also attend courses with regular officers. We saw other effective uses of volunteers, such as a retired person working as a volunteer in the force incident resolution centre (IRC) supporting the force theft team.
The force has also developed positive initiatives in its rural areas and has what is described as a thriving speed watch initiative. The force also supports a volunteer mounted section. These community members ride horses in country lanes and report on incidents they have seen. This includes a close pass initiative. This has attracted wider interest from regional forces.
During our inspection in October 2024, Dorset Police told us that it had introduced a new policy aimed at maintaining a police presence in the areas that the neighbourhood teams are assigned to. Most neighbourhood officers told us that they were being diverted from their main duties to cover response teams less often.
But, at the time of the inspection, rural neighbourhood officers told us that they are often the first responders which took them away from their main duties. As a result, PCSOs in those areas were often deployed as a uniformed presence, for example to road accidents. PCSOs told us this introduced risk because it placed them in a position where they felt that the public would require them to act but they didn’t have the relevant training for these situations. The force has told us that additional training will begin in 2025 to support officers in its neighbourhood policing. It should also make sure that it supports neighbourhood officers with wider resources to reduce the challenges of being diverted away from their main duties.
The force has an established approach to problem-solving and holds open discussions with partner organisations to work together and use joint resources to solve community issues. An example of this is Operation Track which targets patrols to areas of high risk or demand. The operation uses the Clear, Hold, Build principles in Bournemouth to reduce knife crime. It receives support from the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme and community safety partnerships provide CCTV. This helps the force to send officers to areas with higher rates of knife crime.
Dorset Police told us that the operation resulted in a reduction in knife offences in the Winton area. As a result of this success, the force will repeat and expand the initiative.
We found the force has a repository for storing problem-solving plans and a detailed neighbourhood SharePoint site with access to wider resources and the College of Policing. But we also found that this wasn’t routinely accessed by everyone. We also found that completed plans lacked information as to how the force gives updates to those affected.
Dorset Police requires improvement at responding to the public.
The force doesn’t always respond to calls for service within its target timescales. In our victim service assessment, we found that attendance was within the required time in only 46 of the 68 relevant cases we examined. And deployments received effective supervision in 30 of 44 cases we reviewed.
If the force isn’t attending incidents within its target times, victims could lose confidence and stop working with the force. Delayed responses can lead to the force missing opportunities to safeguard victims or collect evidence. The force needs to introduce the right levels of oversight to improve how it responds to incidents.
Since our victim service assessment, the force has introduced a new system called Initial Contact Enquiry. We saw how this allows officers and staff to better prioritise incidents. Early data given to us by the force shows that attendance times at incidents are improving, and we will continue to monitor the force’s progress in this area.
Dorset Police needs to improve the time it takes to answer emergency calls for service. In the year ending 31 August 2024, the force answered 78.7 percent of its 999 calls within 10 seconds. This was an improvement but still lower than the standard expected for forces in England and Wales of answering 90 percent of 999 calls within 10 seconds.
Figure 1: Proportion of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds by forces in England and Wales in the year ending 31 August 2024
Source: 999 call answering times from BT
Note: Call answering time is the time taken for a call to be transferred from BT to a force, and the time taken by that force to answer the call.
The leadership team has focused on performance, and officers and staff are highly motivated. We have seen improvements since our previous inspection in 2021/22. The force is working on improving its 999 responses. Data supplied by the force shows that in December 2024, Dorset Police answered 93 percent of its 999 calls within 10 seconds, but the BT data shows it was 85.7 percent. This is a good response, but the force must keep it going. We will continue to monitor this performance.
During our last inspection in 2021/22, we identified that an area requiring improvement was to identify repeat and vulnerable victims. In response, the force invested in more training for officers and staff, and we saw a significant improvement during our inspection.
But while the force has improved the consistency of its threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement (THRIVE) assessments at the initial point of contact, in our victim service assessment we found that a structured triage only took place in 51 out of 76 relevant cases. We also found that the force wasn’t consistently reassessing incidents. And for the assessments that were present, their quality was sometimes poor. Also, officers and staff weren’t sure when additional risk assessments should take place.
During our inspection we found that call handlers acted politely, appropriately and ethically when answering calls. They also made effective checks to identify repeat and vulnerable victims. Call handlers graded calls appropriately, and a structured triage was completed and documented in most cases.
The force carries out internal quality assurance processes and audits. It has identified the quality of THRIVE assessments as an area that requires additional improvement.
The force identified that it needed to improve initial advice to victims on crime scene management and preservation of evidence. The force uses the threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement (THRIVE) model for risk assessments in its control room. To improve advice to victims, it extended THRIVE to THRIVE SP. The SP prompts the call handler to discuss scene management and evidence preservation. This implementation has effectively closed the gap identified.
Each incident reviewed since the implementation of THRIVE SP shows an effective consideration of SP. The control room has answered enquiries from wider forces that hope to improve in this area.
In July 2024, following a three-month trial in partnership with Cambridge University, Dorset Police introduced an enhanced video response (EVR). The force uses EVR for victims of all types of crimes, including domestic abuse cases. It gives victims the option to speak to police and have the primary investigation take place via video call. A victim satisfaction survey showed that 89 percent of victims would recommend EVR.
Due to its success and added efficiency, Dorset Police is now working with the Centre for Police Productivity, within the College of Policing, to replicate EVR in other forces nationally.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force responds to the public.
We found that the force focuses on the performance of its control room and has clear oversight of how the control room operates through its Op Edison board, which was set up to improve performance in the control room. During our inspection we attended briefings, daily management meetings and performance boards. Each of these clearly referred to the control room activity and performance, with clear investment by the control room leads and communication with wider departments.
The force has increased the number of officers and staff that work in the control room. This has been achieved through a sustained improvement in recruiting new personnel and retaining existing skilled officers and staff. We observed that officers and staff were motivated to improve services to the communities of Dorset.
The force has adopted the Initial Contact Enquiry system developed by Cleveland Police. This searches the force’s records management system, NICHE, for data such as phone numbers, names, addresses and vehicles. It then automatically provides this information when a call is answered, and populates the phone number automatically. This system quickly provides risk and vulnerability information to help officers and staff make effective decisions at the first point of contact.
The force has addressed and improved how it approaches and manages risk. We found in our victim service assessment and in our fieldwork that officers and staff knew about the need to improve the provision of crime scene management advice. The force invested by supporting crime scene investigation training and introduced a new model for managing calls.
The force aims to send the right resource to incidents as soon as is practicable and has a process to quality assure this. In our victim service assessment, we found that 81 out of 95 cases were graded effectively.
The allocation of resources, grading of calls, timeliness of attendance and investigation is reviewed by the ‘Make the Difference’ team. This process provides feedback to make sure that performance and service continues to improve.
The force has sought advice and guidance from other police forces and the quality assurance process involves peer review. Call handlers work with a supervisor who reviews the calls and provides feedback on the day the call was received. This approach benefits both the call handler and the person carrying out the review, as they try to improve the quality of their services.
During fieldwork we were able to see how this works in reality. The review covers multiple aspects of good performance, including crime data integrity. The supervisors provide feedback to the call handler or dispatcher. Training officers are also available in the control room to support personnel if required. We observed a positive approach by all personnel within Dorset control room. Officers and staff commented on a positive and engaging leadership team who are investing in them as people.
The force has reviewed its approach to how officers attend emergency and priority calls. The force has recognised the factors that affect the ability for assigned units to promptly attend incidents, considering the numbers of officers required, their shift patterns and where they work from. The force has changed its shift patterns to make sure it has enough officers working at times when it expects an increase in incidents. This is under review for wider roll out to other departments. If the roll out goes ahead, it will mean that officers in those departments will be on the same shift pattern. By doing this the force will have a complete overview of the resources it has available to respond to incidents and will support the movement of officers across local policing areas to meet fluctuating demand.
The force has introduced enhanced video response (EVR). EVR provides callers with the option of a video call rather than physical attendance by officers. This reduces the need to dispatch a unit in all cases. All calls are assessed for suitability and this assessment is then reviewed for suitability and accuracy.
The force has also introduced the IRC. Low risk cases that account for a high volume of outstanding incidents are placed in the IRC. These are assessed for suitability and, if accepted, the IRC manages the resulting investigations, inclusive of enquiries such as taking statements and obtaining CCTV. They also set tasks for other departments as and when required.
Both developments have contributed to a reduction in demand on response teams and the workforce spoke about them positively during our inspection. We found that both the EVR and the IRC had effective oversight, with recourse to detailed data that shows the management of demand, reduction in incidents in response teams and assigning work to wider departments. This allows the force to understand the value of the approaches. Officers in response have received training which allows the force to move officers into these areas to add further support and resilience if required. The force told us that these units have contributed to improving the force response times to victims and by providing earlier contact and resolution and reducing the demand on the frontline.
The force has focused on improving its performance in answering calls for service more promptly. We found that the force manages calls for service well and has sustained improvements in performance.
The force told us that the percentage of 101 calls abandoned by the caller before they were answered was 11 percent. But, as set out in the National Police Chiefs’ Council 2020 national contact management strategy principles and guidance, forces with a switchboard should aim to have an abandonment rate lower than 5 percent.
While the force is failing to achieve a rate of less than five percent, it has invested in its control room through an increase in the number of people answering the calls and improvements in the management of the control room. This should continue to improve the force’s call answering times.
Dorset Police requires improvement at investigating crime.
We found the force is failing to follow some requirements of the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, also known as the Victims’ Code.
The Victims’ Code requires forces to carry out a needs assessment at an early stage to determine whether victims need additional support. In our victim service assessment, we found that the force complied with the Victims’ Code in only 45 of 70 relevant cases in relation to completing victim contracts.
We found examples of officers not following the requirements and not updating victims as often as they should. This means the force doesn’t always provide victims with the right level of support. It should provide enhanced support for victims who are vulnerable or intimidated, persistently targeted or victims of the most serious crimes.
The force told us it has introduced templates and prompts for officers to remind them of necessary actions to adhere to all areas of the Victims’ Code. The force told us that this is making improvements.
The force needs to make sure it encourages compliance with the Victims’ Code across the force and sufficient improvement is observed.
The force doesn’t always close crimes with the appropriate outcome type. As part of our victim services assessment, we found it had applied the correct outcome in 61 of the 86 relevant cases we reviewed.
The correct application of outcomes is essential for effective performance monitoring. If the force incorrectly applies outcomes, its performance frameworks may not identify themes such as why victims withdraw support for investigations, or when and why investigations don’t have positive outcomes. This could undermine its aim of achieving better results for victims.
The force isn’t always achieving acceptable outcomes for victims of crime. The number of crimes that it solves following investigations is low. It needs to better understand the reason for this, to work to achieve better outcomes for victims.
In the year ending 30 June 2024, Dorset Police recorded 42,259 victim‑based crimes. Of these, 9.3 percent were assigned an ‘offences brought to justice’ outcome. This is within the normal range compared to other forces in England and Wales.
Figure 2: Percentage of victim-based crime recorded by Dorset Police and all forces in England and Wales by selected outcome types in the year ending 30 June 2024
| Outcome types | Force outcome rate | England and Wales outcome rate |
| 1 – Charged/summonsed | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| 2 & 3 – Caution – youths & adults | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| 8 – Community resolutions | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| 9 – Prosecution not in the public interest (CPS decision) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 10 & 21 – Prosecution not in the public interest (police decision) | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| 14 – Evidential difficulties (suspect not identified but the victim declines or is unable to support) | 8.6% | 5.6% |
| 15 – Evidential difficulties (suspect identified; victim supports police action) | 12.1% | 12.1% |
| 16 – Evidential difficulties (suspect identified; victim does not support or withdraws support) | 21.1% | 20.5% |
| 17 – Prosecution time limit expired | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| 18 – Investigation complete – no suspect identified | 38.4% | 42.8% |
| 20 – Action undertaken by another body/ agency | 2.3% | 1.4% |
| 22 – Diversionary, educational or intervention activity | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Source: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables from the Home Office
Note: Presented data comes from the October 2024 data release and may have been revised since. British Transport Police and City of London data are excluded from the England and Wales rate. Total police-recorded crime includes all crime (except fraud). For a full commentary and explanation of crime and outcome types please see the Home Office statistics.
Figure 3: Proportion of victim-based crimes assigned a ‘charged/summonsed’ outcome (outcome 1) by Dorset Police between 31 March 2015 and 30 June 2024
Source: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables from the Home Office
Note: Presented data comes from the October 2024 data release and may have been revised since. Victim-based crimes are defined as all police-recorded crimes where there is a direct victim, such as an individual, an organisation or corporate body.
Between the year ending 30 June 2023 and the year ending 30 June 2024, the rate of victim-based crimes assigned outcome 14, ‘Evidential difficulties: Suspect not identified; victim does not support further action’, decreased from 11.3 percent to 8.6 percent. Both of these values are high compared to other forces in England and Wales.
The force needs to do more to understand the reasons for some outcomes. This would help it to make the improvements needed to give victims the justice they deserve. It also needs to make sure it achieves better outcomes for victims through improved investigations that, in accordance with force and national policies, lead to satisfactory results for victims.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force investigates crime.
Dorset Police has an established Make the Difference team that reviews investigations to quality assure investigative standards. The team carries out audits of case files from the initial call to deployment and all throughout the investigation. Accredited investigators oversee the audits and examine the quality of investigations. They give individual feedback where necessary. They also identify themes for consideration at the investigation’s governance board. The head of crime chairs this board. ‘Power hour’ training sessions also address these themes.
The force has introduced a range of templates and guides designed to improve multiple measures, such as victim focus, supervisor feedback and handover quality. Officers and staff we spoke to were pleased with the investigation standards delivery board and the ‘power hour’ training, stating that it has improved their investigative knowledge.
The force has made effective use of this framework to identify key areas where it can continue to improve investigations and secure better outcomes for victims.
The force has used the accelerated detective direct entry route to fill detective vacancies. This gives new recruits transferable skills, knowledge and experience to become a detective at the end of their probation period.
As of 31 March 2024, Dorset Police had 82 professionalising investigations programme (PIP) 2 trained investigators in post, which is 37 percent of its target of 219. The force had a further 113 in PIP 2 training. The force has plans in place to fill the vacancies and has many officers progressing to these roles at various levels of training. The force told us it has an effective selection process and has put measures in place to support detectives while they are new to the force. This has led to lower numbers of officers and staff leaving investigation teams. The officers and staff we spoke to felt that the force valued and supported them. Supervisors and colleagues were positive about the quality of these new recruits.
The force recognises that it needs to support a young-in-service workforce and has put several initiatives in place to support them with their investigations. The force has extended the time for study in order to help the officers complete their portfolio and take the national investigators exam. Where demand allows, investigators in the criminal investigation department and volume crime teams are able to work remotely 2–3 days each month. This time allows them to focus only on existing casefile work, improving the speed of their investigations. Personnel in investigations told us that they had access to tutors and mentors to support them in their role, but this differed across departments.
We also found that only some teams made full use of the protected time and support. Officers told us that the idea of 2–3 days each month to work remotely to focus on existing casefile work was good, but that this time is often cancelled or interrupted due to demand and resourcing.
The force should make sure that there are sufficient mentors and tutors across all areas of investigations and that officers and staff are able to use this support.
We found that the force has an effective approach to managing high volume investigations. The force IRC, in partnership with Wessex Crown Prosecution Service, has a sped-up process for managing shoplifting offences. When a suspect is a prolific shoplifter, the IRC creates evidential packages (usually consisting of CCTV and a statement confirming the identification of the suspect). When at least five offences are committed and an evidential package is ready, the daily management meeting discusses it and allocates the case to response or neighbourhood officers to arrest the suspect. These suspects are then charged and remanded for court without interview.
The aim is to put a strong case before the court to help them to consider appropriate sentencing. The force told us that of the six prolific shoplifters the force has identified as part of this operation, four were serving prison sentences at the time of our inspection.
Most of the officers and staff we spoke to told us that their supervisors were supportive. They said that supervisors took their welfare seriously and regularly reviewed workload commitments. Many officers and staff told us that workloads were appropriate and manageable, and we found good examples of detective sergeants carrying out detailed reviews on a regular basis. But we also found that officers in specialist roles held a higher number of cases and this could affect their well-being. This is a particular issue for the child abuse investigations team (CAIT). While these officers felt supported by their supervisors, some of them told us that their workloads were unmanageable.
During our inspection we found that some cases were delayed or hadn’t been investigated quickly. The causes of delays included the time taken to obtain forensics, and in one case the requirement to effectively secure evidence was missed. Some officers told us that this was affecting both their well-being and the amount of time they could give to each investigation.
We found that investigators are committed to supporting victims. But we also found that work wasn’t spread fairly among investigations units and some crimes were allocated to personnel who didn’t have the appropriate training. Some teams felt that their workloads had exceeded their capacity to investigate their current caseload effectively.
The force assesses how effectively investigations are supervised. The officers and staff that we spoke to were positive about the supervision of their investigations. But in our victim service assessment we found evidence of effective supervision in only 60 of the 82 relevant cases we reviewed. During fieldwork we found good initial supervision, but this could have become less effective as the cases became more prolonged.
The force should make sure that supervisors know their role is to make sure that investigators pursue all investigative opportunities from the outset and throughout an investigation.
Dorset Police is adequate at protecting vulnerable people.
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as Clare’s Law, allows police forces to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending.
When a disclosure application is successful, and the police have information suitable for disclosure, they should disclose it within 28 days. A delay increases the risk of harm to the victim or potential victim as it affects their ability to make an informed decision about a potentially violent or abusive person in their life.
At the time of our inspection, we found that the force didn’t have an effective process to manage all applications. There was a detailed spreadsheet but it required manual data entry and lacked oversight of higher risk cases. Officers in the wider workforce lacked an understanding of timescales and the importance of the disclosure. We also found that officers deviated from national guidance by holding meetings over the phone. Officers should carry out these meetings in person or through a system that supports face-to-face meetings.
We found that the force had made the DVDS application process available online to encourage more people to use it. This has resulted in an increase in applications. But the force should assure itself that it has oversight of all agreed disclosures and is able to track the timeline of disclosures. The force should also make sure that there is effective governance of all DVDS applications and that it complies with national guidance.
The force uses protective measures such as Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPNs) and Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) to protect vulnerable victims. A DVPN is issued immediately after a domestic violence incident to grant the victim emergency protection from the perpetrator. This is followed by a DVPO, which allows the police and magistrates courts to provide that protection to victims when there isn’t enough evidence to charge the perpetrator.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, the force applied for 159 DVPOs at court, 127 of which were granted at court. This equates to 1.67 percent of DVPOs applied for as a percentage of reported domestic abuse crimes. During the same period, the constabulary recorded nine DVPO breaches. The force told us that there has been an increase in DVPOs from January 2024 to November 2024. This shows the force’s commitment to keeping people safe, but the force could still improve in this area.
The force told us that it lacks the data to fully understand why DVPNs aren’t being converted to DVPOs. The force doesn’t have an effective process for proactively policing orders, so it may miss opportunities to detect breaches of those orders.
The force has invested in specialist legal services to improve the application of orders, but it should do more to understand these processes and make sure it protects vulnerable victims.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force protects vulnerable people.
In May 2024, the force updated its vulnerability strategy. The strategy has a chief officer lead and is supported by wider policies and processes to protect vulnerable people, as well as a clear performance framework. All the policies had been reviewed in the year prior to our inspection. The strategy aligns with the National Vulnerability and Public Protection Strategy and the College of Policing’s 13 vulnerability strands. Each of these strands has a lead who reports to the force’s performance board. At the monthly community safety partnership meeting, partners discuss data and activities to support the strategy’s aims.
The force has good working relationships with local authority partner organisations across Dorset. It uses both police and partner organisation data to review its demand and how it manages vulnerability. For example, the Bournemouth partnership carried out a Victims’ Voice survey and shared the results across the partnership agencies to improve how each of them supports vulnerable people.
But we found that not all partners knew who the responsible leads for the strands of vulnerability were. The force should make sure that leads work effectively with partners to create awareness.
The force has completed a project with Bournemouth University to learn more about the experience of victims during the report and investigation of crime. The force is using the findings from this work to understand how to improve services to victims. It is also developing an action plan that aims to formalise these improvements.
The force told us that it has already made changes as a response to the findings. For example, it has improved its approach to domestic abuse and the communication across teams in the force that support vulnerable people. An example of better communication is Operation Determine, which includes neighbourhood policing teams carrying out ‘safe and well’ visits on drug users. The operation has set up POLE (Person, Object, Location, Event) and BOLO (Be On the Look Out for) alerts on the case management system, NICHE. This makes sure that officers outside the operation notice those who need support.
But we also found that the force doesn’t fully understand why victims might withdraw support for investigations. The force could do more to make sure that there are effective processes to ask for feedback. It is also important that it has a way to hear the views of vulnerable victims and survivors of abuse. The force should then use this feedback to inform its improvement plans and provide better services for victims.
The force told us that its officers risk assess every incident of domestic abuse, and that these risk assessments are quality assured by supervisors. This informs how much safeguarding activity the victims need. The officers complete public protection notices when required. The control room supports awareness and completion of these assessments, including the domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based abuse form.
We found some occasions where the voice of the child was absent from the public protection notice submissions. This may mean that the risk posed to children isn’t always fully assessed. The force knew about this issue and had added information on voice of the child to mandatory training days. Officers and staff from the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) give presentations on safeguarding to new officer recruits and other relevant teams. They also provide feedback to personnel on the quality of their referrals in a structured and effective manner.
The force should continue to improve the consistency of the information gathered so that vulnerable people can access the support they need. The force should also make sure that it is easy for officers to communicate with senior leads. This will support a more effective response to sharp increases in referrals.
We found that the force effectively shares information regarding vulnerable people with partner organisations, including in health, social services and education. During our inspection we observed several meetings where partner organisations and the force showed a supportive and open approach to sharing information to support discussions. Partners complimented how Dorset Police colleagues worked in the partnership environment.
In October 2024, when we visited the MASH, staff had been temporarily unavailable due to covering duties elsewhere. Due to this and an increase in the number of referrals, 478 referrals hadn’t been actioned. The force told us that the MASH had a plan for managing a backlog once referrals hit a threshold of 250 cases. But there was a delay in this process, which meant that referrals were in the queue for longer than intended. This led to delays in managing the risk to those affected.
The force was able to assign more personnel to manage the increased demand. By the end of our inspection in November 2024, there were no outstanding backlogs. The force should make sure that the MASH has the capacity to always maintain the service to victims and to support its officers and staff.
We found that the officers and staff in the MASH are appropriately trained and work well with partners to implement actions to safeguard victims. There is an effective working relationship with partner organisations who share information through strategic and tactical meetings, with support from an analyst working in the MASH.
The force also has quarterly multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) steering groups. During our inspection we attended MARAC meetings and the High Risk Domestic Abuse meeting. Partners chair these meetings, with police attendance at the sergeant or inspector level.
The MARAC uses data that is collected on a weekly basis, including domestic abuse referrals and the number of arrests following those referrals. This makes sure the force identifies high risk, vulnerable people.
Dorset Police is adequate at managing offenders and suspects.
The force has processes in place to monitor the use of bail and this is reported on during force performance meetings. But it doesn’t consistently use bail as a safeguarding measure in cases of offenders who access indecent images of children. This means that there were no safeguarding measures in place to prevent those released under investigation from having contact with children.
We found that the force doesn’t have flags on its systems for suspects dealt with by the paedophile online investigation team. As a result, investigators aren’t automatically notified of further incidents or intelligence regarding these suspects. We also found that the force is failing to update intelligence when delays occur. This means that they don’t know if the risk has changed, which is potentially leaving children at risk.
The force should make sure that it takes every opportunity to safeguard children. This should include the application of bail conditions and also updating the intelligence of all those being managed where suspects present a risk to children and vulnerable people.
The force’s paedophile online investigation team (POLIT) trains the preferred applicant to grade indecent images in the department. The recruitment process also involves a health monitoring session with an independent counsellor to make sure that there are no triggers/issues likely to occur due to the sensitive nature of POLIT work. This is to make sure that the sensitive work doesn’t adversely affect the applicant. If they are suitable, then the force will offer them a position in the department.
This process allows the individual to understand the work involved and the sensitivity and nature of the POLIT. It also supports the force by making sure that it places the right personnel, who are both committed and resilient, in the right roles.
Investigations that are managed outside the paedophile online investigation team (POLIT) are reviewed by POLIT officers and staff. They will then either be given an investigation plan or taken into the POLIT depending on the offence and the complexity of the investigation.
This makes sure that the POLIT has a good oversight of all related offences and that officers have the support required to achieve appropriate outcomes for victims.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force manages offenders and suspects.
The force arrests offenders and suspects promptly. In our victim service assessment, we found that the force arrested identified suspects promptly in 16 out of the 16 relevant cases we reviewed. There are also clear and appropriate policies in place about when suspects should be shown as wanted on the Police National Computer. This allows other forces across the country to know if a person is wanted when interacting with them. The force investigations remain open until wanted suspects are arrested.
Outstanding suspects and offenders are risk assessed, prioritised and monitored at both local daily management meetings and the daily meeting to assign work. The force can use accurate data to inform senior leaders of how many outstanding suspects or wanted persons are at large.
The force has a risk assessment process to identify the highest-harm perpetrators. Higher risk suspects, such as those involved in domestic abuse incidents, are discussed at a force-wide meeting. Personnel at this meeting decide on possible further action if these suspects aren’t promptly arrested. This proactive approach reduces the risk of further offending, makes sure victims are safeguarded and helps investigations to progress.
The force uses the active risk management system to manage registered sex offenders. This is a nationally recognised risk-assessment tool. Trained personnel complete risk management plans for each offender. We found that the plans were detailed and identified potential risk areas for monitoring.
Officers from the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders (MOSOVO) team told us that their workloads are manageable, and they have received effective training and guidance to support them in their roles. But, while officers said their workloads were manageable, we found that they were high. The force should make sure that it effectively supports officers to manage their caseload.
We found that officers prioritise the use of arrest for enforcement action against offenders who access indecent images of children. In most cases this is used instead of a warrant. But if the suspect isn’t at home when officers attend, they could find out about the intended police action and dispose of evidence. This means that officers might miss evidential or safeguarding opportunities.
The team reduces the likelihood of this by carrying out arrests in the early morning and making sure that officers remain in the property if the offender isn’t there. Without a warrant there is always a risk of the failure to secure evidence or safeguard children.
The force told us that it takes this approach because it is difficult to gain warrants through local magistrates. The force should make sure that the team can get warrants more effectively, to support the success of investigations and prompt safeguarding of children.
The force has a dedicated digital media investigator in its paedophile online investigation team (POLIT). Digital media investigators support specialist investigations that involve digital technology, data and applications. These investigators reduce the teams’ need for support from the central digital forensics unit. They also help teams to assess offenders’ compliance with preventative orders restricting the use of digital technology.
The digital media investigators also operate the technology that allows teams to locate and seize electronic devices during enforcement action, such as house searches. And there are two members of staff within the digital forensics unit that can attend suspects or scenes with the POLIT.
During our inspection, we found no notable backlogs in the examination of digital forensics. It was also clear that the digital media investigators prioritised investigations involving vulnerable people.
We also found that the force has sufficient digital monitoring software and digital triage capability in MOSOVO. The force has 150 E-Safe licences, which they use on a case‑by-case basis. There are enough licences in the force to meet demand. Investigators and offender managers also have access to a digi dog, a dog trained to sniff out digital devices. Digital media investigators attend visits with the MOSOVO staff.
As police forces have become more proactive in tackling the online abuse and exploitation of children, the number of registered sex offenders living in the community has risen. This creates demand pressures on forces and can sometimes mean that registered sex offender management teams don’t have the capacity to act proactively while managing incoming demand. A proactive approach helps to make sure that registered sex offenders are abiding by conditions set by the court to protect the public from their behaviour.
We found Dorset Police promotes a proactive approach. The force asks for civil orders to manage registered sex offenders and those who pose a risk to the community who haven’t been convicted yet. The force has a lead for civil orders, and a steering group which invites relevant stakeholders from inside the force.
There is also good involvement with neighbourhood teams. Each neighbourhood area has champions, and a member of staff from MOSOVO updates them on relevant information. The force uses its intel portal to allow neighbourhood officers to see where there are registered sex offenders in their area. Offenders are discussed at daily management meetings and subject to performance reporting.
The force provides a sufficient well-being offer for the MOSOVO team. The force has an effective welfare strategy, offers two welfare days per year and has welfare single points of contact for MOSOVO. Team members receive face-to-face counselling sessions and psychological safety training each year.
A survey was sent out to MOSOVO staff about psychological safety, including asking if officers felt valued and supported. The results were good, with no area scoring below 85 percent. The force offers regular one-to-ones and assessments to support officers effectively in this demanding role.
During our inspection, we found that officer workloads in the POLIT were well managed, and the team had clear performance measures in place. Governance meetings supported these measures by reviewing the allocation and quick completion of work.
Most cases are actioned within Kent internet risk assessment tool (KIRAT) timescales. The intelligence review and initial risk assessment is carried out by the force intelligence bureau. The bureau then produces a comprehensive package for the POLIT before enforcement.
The POLIT uses a more efficient process for low-level offences where the offender admits the offence. This cuts down on the time the offender is on bail and reduces the risk to the community because the faster process means the offender is under formal management earlier. It also reduces suicide risk in offenders and reduces the number of unnecessary exhibits in the digital forensic unit queue.
Dorset Police is adequate at building, supporting and protecting the workforce.
The force has identified that a change of provider and IT issues have affected how the occupational health unit (OHU) supports its workforce.
Between March 2022 and March 2024, the force saw a steady increase in the number of occupational health referrals. We found that in the year ending 31 March 2024, there were 442 referrals to the OHU; 68.1 percent of these were mental health referrals. Between 22 July and 19 August 2024, we carried out a PEEL workforce survey. We received 978 responses, which is about 33.7 percent of the total workforce. Of those, 25.6 percent (348 of 978 respondents) stated Dorset Police had referred them to the occupational health service for support.
Looking at the speed of referrals, 64.7 percent said that mental health referrals were timely and 59.7 percent said that physical health referrals were timely. Out of the respondents referred for both their mental and physical health, 59.7 percent said that referrals were timely. As of 31 March 2024, the time between referral and appointment in Dorset Police was 24.3 days. In the year ending 31 March 2024, the force also had fewer occupational health referrals per 100 employees than normally expected for forces in England and Wales. Some supervisors didn’t know when to make referrals or what other support they could give. The force should give supervisors more guidance on when to refer people to the OHU for support.
The force has assessed the full nature of demand the OHU faces and put work in place to address the delays. Once this work is complete, it would benefit from producing a written structured plan to make sure both the workforce and organisation see the improvements quickly.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force builds, supports and protects the workforce.
During our inspection we found that high workloads in specialist investigations detective teams are a concern for the workforce. This is leading to them feeling stressed and isolated. We found that detectives in some areas of the force had much higher caseloads than in other areas. Senior leaders recognise these challenges and are recruiting more officers to this specialist area. But it was evident that workloads in some areas had remained high for a long time. This was affecting morale and well‑being.
We also found that work wasn’t spread fairly between teams or personnel and often cases were allocated with little consideration for the pressure officers were under. A lot of officers and staff had manageable workloads but still reported being overwhelmed. We also found some personnel were working on complex cases that they weren’t trained to manage effectively, and they also didn’t have the support of mentors or experienced investigators in those areas.
The force should make sure that it understands the effect that demand has on its workforce in all areas of policing. It is important that Dorset Police understands well‑being and that this translates into a healthy and happy workforce. The force needs to do more to understand well-being in areas of policing that manage complex and sensitive investigations. It also needs to make sure that those personnel have extra support tailored to their needs.
The force has identified departments and roles that carry high risks. The staff and officers in these roles receive regular, compulsory psychological screening, as well as stress and trauma risk assessments. These are also available to personnel in other roles if needed. One officer told us that while they were off with stress, the force supported them with counselling. At the end of the allotted sessions, the force recognised the need for continued support and gave the officer extra sessions. This helped the officer to return to work sooner.
Most of the officers and staff that we spoke to felt supported by the force, and it was evident that they were motivated and wanted to work for Dorset Police. This was supported by the findings of our PEEL workforce survey where 72.5 percent (709 of 978) of respondents felt proud to be a member of Dorset Police. And 74.8 percent (731 of 978) of respondents agreed the force treats them fairly.
Dorset Police provides the workforce with a wide range of well-being support options. These include health and well-being co-ordinators and a peer support framework to give extra help where needed. The force also supports well-being interviews that are carried out every five months in high-risk areas such as the MASH. We also found that there is a clear process for post-incident support, including debriefs after traumatic or critical incidents.
Valuing personnel and treating them fairly increases productivity and well-being among the workforce.
The force supports new recruits through its force apprenticeship managers. The role includes updating line managers on progress, welfare and well-being discussions, supporting students with their portfolios, and working with the university to support the students’ development through to the end of year three. The students we spoke to also told us that they were given a tutor but we found that tutors often supported more than one officer. This was sometimes because of vacancies and personnel being diverted away from their main duties. Tutors told us that this could be improved if the process was better co-ordinated and tutors were more consistent. The force recognised this issue and was recruiting additional tutors throughout the time of our inspection.
The force has developed a ‘say and stay’ initiative to retain recruits and officers. It piloted this with people from ethnic minority backgrounds through the positive action team. From 2025/26, a group of ambassadors will run say and stay conversations for anyone considering leaving policing. In these, members of the force will speak with officers to understand why they are thinking about leaving and try to find solutions to any problems they have. But the force could do more to understand why personnel leave by consistently holding exit interviews.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, 92 percent of the workforce had completed annual personal development reviews (PDRs). We were told that a personal development meeting takes place once a year between each officer and member of staff, and their first-line manager. But the content of these reviews isn’t shared with anyone else. This means that personnel or their first-line manager have to request training, lateral moves, promotion or development.
It also means that the force isn’t well informed about the capability of its officers and staff, and what opportunities exist to develop its workforce. But in our workforce survey we found that 76.5 percent (748 of 978 respondents) agreed that their line manager helped them to achieve their full potential.
The force accepts that there are issues with the PDR system and planned to introduce its new electronic PDR system in Autumn 2024. The force told us that it appreciates the importance of PDRs and one-to-one development meetings. Dorset Police should make sure that it addresses the concerns raised by its officers and staff, and that it measures success when implementation of its new PDR system is complete.
The force’s positive action plan includes measures to help personnel from under‑represented groups to develop and progress. This involves several projects, including buddy and mentoring schemes, to identify and develop talented personnel. There are also Action Learning Sets and a Positive Action Support Programme for police officers. Positive action ambassadors support these schemes.
The force has also reintroduced its Dorset Ethnic Police Association. The association supports the force’s commitment to workforce representation and supports the force with policy review and development. Dorset Police also supports the Regional Women in Leadership conference, Springboard workshops, Senior Women in Policing Conference and Inspire events.
There are more opportunities for under-represented groups, such as the College of Policing Aspire, College of Policing Development for Senior Leaders and the College of Policing Career Pathway Workshop. The force also provides opportunities for external coaching. It effectively shows positive action to its workforce and encourages personnel from under-represented groups to join departments that aren’t fully representative of the community.
Dorset Police’s leadership and management is adequate.
The force has introduced organisational changes to help it improve performance and provide a better service to the public. It has made great progress in the pursuit of these aims.
We found there is good governance of organisational change in the force, with a strategic change board focusing on the most effective changes. The force effectively oversees its change programme, named Operation Evolve. It has access to a lot of detailed information which allows the force to respond quickly to changing demand. For example, the force recognised that if it pooled the resources in its enhanced video response team to create a central resource, then it could improve capacity in the team and use the extra resources in other areas of need.
But the force now needs to refine its operational change processes to support further improvements. Officers and staff told us that a high number of projects haven’t been implemented but they don’t have the resources for them.
The force should assure itself that when it identifies programmes of work as necessary to improve its services, it has the capacity to make these changes.
The force has effective systems in place to make sure that crimes are allocated to the appropriate personnel. We found that in most areas this was effective, such as the enhanced video response and incident resolution centre, and the local investigations department. But we also found that crimes aren’t always allocated to officers with the appropriate training. For instance, during fieldwork we found response officers were managing complex cases. One was dealing with multiple offences linked to organised crime and another had been allocated a complex fraud investigation. This would have been more suitable for a trained investigator.
Also, a lack of resources and skilled detectives means the force can’t always allocate crimes to appropriately skilled officers and staff in other areas, such as its child abuse investigations team. We found that the number of crimes waiting to be allocated varies, and personnel in the child abuse investigations team told us that in the past its queue of crimes had peaked at around 100. Personnel in this team know about the resourcing pressures but don’t see action from senior leaders regarding this.
The allocation of crimes often caused wider pressures. Frontline officers and staff told us about queues of crimes awaiting allocation. Investigators told us that allocating crimes was difficult due to a lack of professionalising investigations programme 2 investigators.
The force should review its allocation process to assure itself that crimes are allocated to personnel with the appropriate skills, experience and training. It should also make sure that officers and staff have the capacity to manage the volume allocated.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to leadership and management.
Dorset Police makes effective use of its information when making plans. It has set priorities which align with the police and crime commissioner’s crime plan. This provides the force with strategic direction and supports the development of force priorities. It has produced a detailed force management statement (FMS), which makes good use of the data it has. The force performance board allows senior leaders to scrutinise important performance areas. The FMS sets out how the force expects to change in the future. This is supported by Operation Evolve, the force strategic change programme that is reviewing all areas of the force’s policing functions.
The force has improved its understanding of the demand it has and has taken steps to use its workforce more effectively. For example, it has introduced a new shift pattern and a programme of work that will review the possibility of moving all areas of policing to the same shift pattern. This aims to align resources to demand by allowing the force to know who is available with what skills at any given time. It will also support the flexible movement of officers and staff to meet demand, which should reduce the need to cover demand with overtime or additional cost.
The force consults well with its communities and partners such as local authorities, using surveys and independent groups. During our inspection we observed a good approach to involving partners and the community in the force’s policing approach. For example, the force holds partnership meetings and community events.
The force has good links with its communities, supported by its neighbourhood teams and effective partnerships. The force consults many community forums and uses this consultation in its decision making, alongside similar work by the office of the police and crime commissioner. The chief officer group invests in the workforce and operates an ‘empty chair’ process for officers and staff to attend force-level meetings. The chair actively asks the attendees for their views to add value to the process.
We found Dorset Police was making good use of its work assignment and co‑ordination and daily management meetings. It was using these to monitor emerging issues and to direct personnel to respond to these issues. Officers and staff also give their views on workforce priorities. Senior leaders clearly understand how their decisions affect the frontline through effective consultation.
The force gives training to all those entering a leadership role. It has supported personnel each year to study for a university degree in leadership and management. And it offers less formal development opportunities through regular continuing professional development events and a structured coaching and mentoring scheme. At the time of our inspection, the leaders we spoke with made positive comments about how chief officers encouraged a supportive style of leadership. They said this was helping to create a positive working environment.
We were impressed by the comments about the chief officers’ level of visibility, but found this wasn’t always the case with other ranks. Some officers and staff told us that chief inspectors, superintendents and chief superintendents in some areas weren’t always regularly seen. We also found that the force has a high number of temporary supervisors and leaders within its workforce. Some of these leaders have been in the role for longer than expected. The force aims to resolve this through an active promotion process, which is set to conclude in early 2025.
We also found that the force has few officers in leadership positions, particularly at the superintendent rank. This places great demand upon superintendents, who often have to cover leadership duties while being responsible for demand in their area and other areas of the operational process. We also found that officers’ commitment to professionalism and an investment in working with partners meant that they were reluctant to cancel or move meetings. This often resulted in them working extra days following on-call duties.
It is important that governance structures provide support to the workforce, and that more leaders are in permanent positions so that the force can maintain effective oversight of performance in all areas. The force should assure itself that its leadership model can support its workforce. This will allow senior leaders to better understand its capability and capacity within its leadership strands. It will also allow them to act earlier when necessary to address challenges raised by uncertainty or a lack of experience.
The force can show that it understands the pressures of demand placed on the workforce and has carried out work to understand how officers and staff contribute to managing demand and performance. This has shaped the force’s operating model.
An example of this work is how the force responds to departments or teams that require more personnel, either due to under-staffing or higher rates of leavers, such as departments that require PIP 2 investigators. The force’s workforce plan outlines how to reduce the gap in these vacancies. The force is working to better understand attrition in the Degree Holder Entry Programme recruitment pathway and is changing how it mentors officers to keep them in detective roles. The force is also advertising detective posts and making sure detectives are improving the quality of investigations through the investigative standards board. It is evident that the force is approaching resourcing pressures in this area by dedicating efforts to boosting numbers.
The force also has several performance measures to make sure it is continuing to address performance and lead on improvements, such as weekly performance reports and frequent trends analysis.
The force uses various strategic documents, such as the FMS, to inform its operational board. The force has several dashboards to identify where disproportionate work is held or where workload may affect the welfare of officers and staff. The force performance board also allows the force to deep dive into areas identified as a concern.
The force continues to improve productivity through digital, data and technology solutions. This includes mobile working and individual laptops equipped with a force application to make it quicker and easier to record crimes. There are around 24 automations in force which have created cashable savings.
The force has a good understanding of value for money and the productivity of its resources and assets. One example we saw during our inspection included the use of volunteers. Another was the ‘No Excuse’ team supporting the training of new recruits on drink/drug driving, to support their Policing Education Qualifications Framework completion.
The force also effectively deploys officers who are on restricted duties. It places these officers in appropriate roles that reflect their skills and accreditations to better support their return to work, such as in the EVR or IRC teams. The force monitors how both teams affect incoming demand.
We also found that flexible working helps to make sure that personnel are supported and productive. Departments effectively measure performance and are therefore able to make informed changes to suit individual needs. The force told us it has also invested in its special constabulary, providing a £100,000 investment in IT that allows them to patrol with colleagues effectively and make use of personal laptops and body‑worn video.
The force consulted with Process Evolution to better understand demand and how it uses resources. The outcomes of this consultation have informed changes which are improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the force. More work is in progress to realise further benefits which will support the force in continuing to give an effective service to its communities.
The force works well with other organisations to be more efficient by sharing the costs of some functions. It has a well-established strategic alliance with Devon and Cornwall Police. The force is also working with the company BAE Systems to improve the efficient management of vulnerability. An example of this is its intelligence-led assessment service. This is a cloud-based system that pulls the information out of the force records management system, NICHE. The force aims for this to be accessible to other organisations such as children’s social care. This would allow decision making to be based on information known to all partner agencies, with multi-agency information being available at the click of a button to all agencies.
The force also collaborates with Bournemouth AFC, which supports funding of policing operations for football matches, and Bournemouth University to understand the victim’s journey to support the force in meeting the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime. We also found the force scrutinises the effectiveness of collaboration. It is reviewing all section 23 agreements as part of Operation Evolve to make sure that each collaboration is meeting expectations.
The force is under considerable financial pressure. This was increased by an unexpected deficit created by the recent pay award, which the force told us was £1.4 million for the financial year 2024/25. As such, the force needs to make significant savings.
We found that the force has plans in place to make sure it meets its savings targets. This has included the introduction of a mutually agreed resignation scheme. This process will see a reduction in workforce numbers and will make further savings by reducing the number of officer and staff roles. The force has also examined how it uses resources to manage demand and has tried to find out how it can become more efficient. Despite these efforts, the force will need to make further workforce reductions in the coming financial year.
The force shows effective financial management. It makes the best use of the finance it has available, and its financial plans are both ambitious and sustainable. In Dorset, for the 2024/25 financial year, the Government grant is £83.2 million (48.4 percent of the total budget), and the local council tax precept is £88.7 million (51.6 percent of the total budget). This gives a total core fund of £171.9 million. Taking this into account, there remains a budget gap of £2.7 million for 2024/25. The financial forecasts within the mid-term financial plan are based on realistic assumptions about future funding and expenditure.
Data in this report comes from a range of sources, including:
For any charts and tables included in this report, we have listed the data source underneath.
We collect data from police forces twice a year. We agreed the design and schedule of this data collection with forces and other interested parties, including the Home Office.
Our analysts check and evaluate the collected data. We contact the force if we have any initial queries. Following this, we carry out an in-depth data review and make further contact with the force if needed. This process gives forces several opportunities to quality assure and validate the information they shared to make sure it is accurate.
We then share our analysis with the force by uploading the data to online dashboards. As they can review own and other forces’ data in context, forces can identify any notable differences or other inconsistencies.
This report presents the results from a PEEL inspection of one of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. British Transport Police is outside the scope of this report.
Any aggregated totals for England and Wales exclude data from the British Transport Police, which means that the totals will differ from those published by the Home Office. If any other police forces didn’t supply data and aren’t included in the total figures, we will mention this.
We use data that has been collected outside our PEEL inspection to support our fieldwork.
This report contains the latest data available before the start of our inspection and the data that the force gave us during our inspection. If more recent data becomes available after our inspection fieldwork and shows that the force’s performance has changed, we will comment on this.
In this report, we sometimes present information as rates per 1,000 population in each police force area. This allows our data to be comparable across all forces. Where population data is used in our calculations, we use the latest mid-year population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
In this report, we have included bar charts with dotted red lines to show where a force is significantly different from the average for forces in England and Wales.
The dotted lines on the bar charts show one standard deviation above and below the unweighted average of all forces. Standard deviation summarises the difference between each individual value and the average and can be used to identify extreme or rare values.
Forces that are more than one standard deviation above or below the average are considered significantly different. These forces are outside the red dotted lines on our bar charts and we have highlighted them in either a dark blue (forces above average) or light blue (forces below average) colour. Typically, 32 percent of forces will be above or below these lines for any given measure.
We survey the police workforce throughout England and Wales to understand their experiences at work. The survey is an opportunity for the whole workforce to share their views with us. It is a valuable source of information as it isn’t possible to speak to everyone in a force during our inspection.
However, the responses we receive come from a non-statistical, voluntary sample within the workforce. The number of responses also varies between forces. This means that the results may be not representative of the workforce population.
We treat the results with caution and don’t use them to assess police forces. Instead, we use the results to establish themes that should be explored further during our inspection fieldwork. The results can also be used to give more evidence and validate information from other sources.
We carry out a victim service assessment for all forces as part of our inspection programme.
We assess the service that a force provides to victims. This is from the point of reporting a crime and throughout an investigation.
We also evaluate how forces record crimes. We assess every force on its crime recording practices at least once every three years.
Details of the technical methodology for the victim service assessment.
We carry out a stop and search audit for all forces as part of our inspection programme.
Our stop and search audits allow us to evaluate how well forces use their stop and search powers. We review how many stop and searches a force carried out under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 or section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. We analyse:
Dorset PEEL assessment 2023–2025
You can find more about Dorset Police on our dedicated force page.
Dorset is a largely rural county with a growing conurbation, a long coastline, two major ports and an international airport.
The local population is inflated each year by millions of visitors.
Find out more about HMICFRS’s work and other inspection areas.
Find out how well other forces have performed during their PEEL assessment.
You can view the recommendations for all forces made by HMICFRS on our Progress against recommendations page. This shows how much progress has been made on these recommendations.
