In 2023–2025, we carried out a PEEL inspection of Essex 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 Essex Police
More information about the PEEL assessments
Our inspection assessed how good Essex Police is in 10 areas of policing. We make graded judgments in nine of these, as follows:
We also inspected how effective a service Essex 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 pleased with some aspects of the performance of Essex Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service. I am satisfied with most other aspects of the force’s performance, but there are areas in which it needs to improve.
Although the force’s funding is at the lower end of the typical range for police forces in England and Wales, the number of officers and demand in terms of incidents, 999 calls and 101 calls are in line with other forces.
The funding position for Essex Police has created operational challenges and I recognise the force’s desire to secure the best possible position moving forward. There is a commitment to invest in the prevention of crime, which not only keeps victims safe but also reduces demand.
More broadly, I am pleased with the strong leadership, governance and performance management framework of the force. Essex Police has been receptive to feedback throughout this inspection and, where necessary, has taken immediate steps to improve how it protects the public.
The force has invested in leadership and management training to support the inexperienced members of its workforce. The force is also taking steps to upskill local policing team officers and their supervisors and support them in the investigation of crime.
The force needs to focus more on protecting vulnerable people. It should have systems and processes in place that identify issues before they arise. The force has worked with Essex County Council to improve the sharing of information about children at risk of harm. It should also take steps to make sure it applies these processes, so no child is left at unnecessary risk of harm.
Since our last inspection, the force has made significant changes within its contact management centre. Early indications are that these changes will allow the force to provide a better service to the public. The force is rightly continuing to focus on answering emergency and non-emergency telephone calls faster, and we hope that it maintains these improvements.
While I congratulate the police officers and police staff of Essex Police for their efforts to keep the public safe, I will monitor progress in the areas where I feel the force needs to improve.
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.
Essex Police is investing in the capability and capacity of its leadership to support the workforce and improve performance.
Senior leaders have clear plans and priorities for the force and operational activity focuses on these. We found that the force’s investment concentrates on making sure that it has the right people in the right place. And it is aligned to the force’s strategic plans and stated priorities. The force effectively predicts the number of leavers and joiners, their roles and responsibilities, and how this links to performance.
The force is committed to supporting the well-being of its workforce. It surveys all officers and staff on a rolling programme and uses this and other surveys to identify issues that matter to them.
Essex Police responds proactively to the challenges it faces and is focused on doing the most it can to protect the public and prevent crime. Senior leaders are willing to make tough choices as they manage financial challenges, and regularly evaluate what they do and how they do it. The force has an established collaboration with Kent Police, which helps both forces to provide some key services more efficiently and effectively, while also saving money.
There is clear responsibility for areas of activity, including the force’s digital strategy and performance framework.
Generally, there are effective governance processes in place to manage performance, although these need strengthening to better protect vulnerable people. We found a culture of healthy challenge and debate, with officers and staff airing problems in performance meetings.
Senior leaders are committed to developing leadership at all levels. Training is available to officers and police staff entering leadership roles for the first time, with further courses attended by all second and third-line managers. Leaders at all levels assess their performance against outcomes and priorities. They are confident in making decisions and understand their role in achieving good performance and giving the public a better service.
More detail on Essex Police’s leadership is included in the main body of the report.
The reducing crime assessment sets out what Essex 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.
Essex Police shows a good understanding of current and future demand. The force has invested in the prevention of crime, with staff dedicated to the systematic management of offenders judged most likely to cause serious harm. But the force can’t show evidence of a strategic understanding of repeat victims. The force should improve the way it works with partner organisations to share information and safeguard victims. This will help it to reduce crime in the future.
The force’s neighbourhood policing teams work well with communities to understand their needs. They are building trust and confidence with the public, and they encourage them to share information to help deter crime.
The force needs to improve its approach to tackling antisocial behaviour. This can have a significant effect on victims, especially if the behaviour is prolonged. We found evidence that the force is missing opportunities to stop antisocial behaviour or reduce its effect on victims.
In our last PEEL inspection in 2021/22, we found that there was a lack of maturity in the force’s problem-solving processes. Essex Police should make sure it consistently uses problem-solving tools across all aspects of policing. This will help it to reduce crime.
The force consistently sets clear aims, objectives and expected standards for investigations. It aims to improve outcomes for victims by pursuing all appropriate lines of enquiry. But the force needs to improve the quality of its investigations and make sure that investigators have enough capacity to deal with complex and high-risk cases.
More detail on what Essex Police is doing to reduce crime is included in the main body of this report.
This section describes our assessment of the service Essex 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 a handler answers it. The force identifies repeat and vulnerable victims, but doesn’t always use this information effectively.
In their calls, call handlers mostly use a structured process that assesses threat, harm, risk and vulnerability. Call handlers identify repeat and vulnerable victims, but don’t always use this information effectively.
This means that they aren’t always fully aware of the victim’s circumstances when considering what response the force should provide. Call handlers are polite and give victims advice on crime prevention and on how to preserve evidence.
On most occasions, the force responds to calls for service appropriately. But sometimes it doesn’t always respond within set timescales. It doesn’t always inform victims of delays, meaning that victims’ expectations aren’t always met. This may cause victims to lose confidence and disengage with the process.
The force has effective crime-recording processes. It makes sure that nearly all crimes are recorded correctly and promptly. We set out more details about the force’s crime recording in ‘Recording data about crime’ section.
In most cases, the force investigates crimes in an effective and timely way. But it doesn’t always complete relevant and proportionate lines of enquiry. The force supervises investigations well most of the time and keeps 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. In most cases, the force took 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 considers progressing the case without the victim’s support. This can be an important way of safeguarding the victim and preventing further offences from being committed. Although the force doesn’t always record whether it considers using powers designed to protect victims, such as a Domestic Violence Protection Notice or Domestic Violence Protection Order.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (‘the Victims’ Code’) 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 mostly closes crimes with the appropriate outcome type and records a clear rationale for using a certain outcome, although this isn’t always effectively supervised. It asks for victims’ views when deciding which outcome type to assign to a closed investigation. When appropriate, the force is mostly able to provide an auditable record of victims’ wishes. The force nearly always informs victims of what outcome code has been assigned to the investigation.
Essex 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 compare the findings from this audit to those from previous audits.
We estimate that Essex Police is recording 98.1 percent (+/- 1.5 percentage points) of all reported crime (excluding fraud).
We estimate that the force is recording 98.0 percent (+/- 2.6 percentage points) of sexual offences.
We estimate that the force is recording 96.2 percent (+/- 3.6 percentage points) of violent offences.
The force’s data for victims of crime still shows that age and gender are well recorded, ethnicity is less well recorded, and other protected characteristics are hardly ever recorded. The force should be collecting this information to understand the extent to which crime affects each protected group, how this differs from those without protected characteristics, and whether a different response is needed for these victims.
The force is failing to record enough crimes when antisocial behaviour is reported by victims. We examined 50 incidents classed as antisocial behaviour personal. Of these, seven crimes should have been recorded, but only three were actually recorded. Victims of antisocial behaviour are often subjected to abuse and torment for substantial periods of time. Failing to record crimes and effectively tackle antisocial behaviour can mean that victims live in fear in their own homes.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to crime data integrity.
We reviewed 49 reports of rape, which were all recorded correctly, and a further 16 reported incidents of rape (Home Office classification N100), which were also all recorded correctly. Rape is one of the most serious crimes a victim can experience. Therefore, it is important that crimes are recorded accurately to make sure victims receive the service and support they expect and deserve.
Essex Police is adequate at using police powers and treating people fairly and respectfully.
During our inspection, we reviewed a sample of 189 stop and search records from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024. On the basis of this sample, we estimate that 79.9 percent (+/- 5.7 percentage points) of all stop and searches carried out by the force during this period had reasonable grounds. This is broadly unchanged compared to the findings from our previous review of records in 2022, when we found that 85.7 percent (+/- 4.9 percentage points) of stop and searches had reasonable grounds recorded. Of the records we reviewed for stop and searches on people who self-identify as being from an ethnic minority background, 40 out of 44 had reasonable grounds.
Officers should ask the person being searched how they define their ethnicity and record this. In the year ending 31 March 2024, 30 percent of the records submitted by Essex Police didn’t record the person’s self-defined ethnicity. This means that Essex Police’s understanding of disproportionality is reduced, as it only uses officer-defined ethnicity in its analysis. The force believes this stems from officers’ lack of confidence in asking this question and plans to address this through training.
A supervisor should formally oversee all records of stop and search. The force has strengthened its approach to make sure this happens consistently. The force also carries out more detailed checks of the body-worn video recordings of some stop and search encounters. Previously, these weren’t being completed in line with force expectations. This meant that opportunities to improve were being missed, until senior officers held individual supervisors and their managers to account. The force needs to make sure that it continues to increase the number of more detailed checks it carries out, and that it allows officers to learn from these checks.
Officers are required to provide a detailed written record of the grounds for the search and other key information. Supervisors who review these records should be trained to assess officers’ performances and give effective feedback. The police’s use of stop and search is a valuable tool in preventing and detecting crime. However, if a force can’t show it uses stop and search fairly, there is a real risk to the public’s trust and confidence in these powers.
Essex Police doesn’t have sufficient internal scrutiny of all its use of force to identify opportunities to learn and improve. The force has robust processes to review instances of police dog bites, the use of Tasers, and when force is used within a custody area. It also looks to identify learning from complaints made by members of the public and when officers are assaulted.
But there is no process to review when force is used in other circumstances. The force requires officers to routinely use body-worn video on duty. This means that, the majority of the time, there is a recording of officers’ use of force. Supervisors should review some of this footage to make sure interactions are lawful, fair and respectful.
The public supports Essex Police by scrutinising how its officers use their stop and search powers. But, at the time of our inspection, these scrutiny groups were only able to give their views on force used during a search. Essex Police should increase the types of use of force that are subject to external scrutiny and use this learning to inform officers’ training.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to police powers and treating people fairly and respectfully.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, Essex Police carried out 16,830 stop and searches. This is a decrease of 4.5 percent compared with the previous year. This is in line with the picture across England and Wales, where forces overall recorded a decrease of 2.9 percent over the same period.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, our analysis shows that Black people were 2.7 times more likely than White people to be the subject of a stop and search by Essex Police. But this analysis may not be accurate. It doesn’t include the 30 percent of stop and search encounters where officers failed to record the self-defined ethnicity of the person. It is essential that the force uses accurate data to understand and explain disproportionality.
Senior officers as well as independent members of the public scrutinise the police’s use of stop and search and, where these powers were used disproportionately, they assess whether this was justifiable. For example, following gang-related violence in Southend last summer, police used stop and search powers as one part of their plan to prevent further violence. A section 60 stop and search authority was granted to stop and search people and vehicles, without suspicion, for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments. Over a two-day period, police searched 97 people, 71 of whom officers identified as being Black.
An independent scrutiny panel randomly selected the body-worn video recording of one of these searches for review. Separately, the force itself reviewed its use of stop and search in this instance, and looked at how the officers went about their duties over the two-day period. Following these reviews, the force recognised that it needs to improve how it briefs officers, while also identifying that, in this instance, disproportionality was necessary to prevent a recurrence of serious violence.
The force has invested in training to enhance officers’ awareness of the communities they serve and improve their communication with those communities. It has also updated its body-worn video system. This means that, once activated, body-worn video equipment now retains both audio and video recordings from the preceding 30 seconds, allowing for greater accountability. The force monitors the use of body‑worn video during stop and search encounters and was able to show us data indicating that it is almost always used.
Essex Police oversees its use of force and stop and search in a meeting attended by senior officers, its multiethnic staff support association and members of an independent advisory group. We attended one of these meetings and saw it created opportunity for debate and constructive challenge. The force is helped by a scrutiny panel and local independent advisory groups. They review numerous stop and search encounters and the connected use of force. The public can watch a video describing the role of the scrutiny panel and read minutes of each meeting, online.
The force has broadened its scrutiny process to include young people, including college students and police cadets. A small number of meetings have been held, which allowed members to review appropriate incidents and provide feedback.
The force and members of the scrutiny panel review the use of stop and search using procedural justice theory. The person completing the review considers several factors, including:
Feedback is given to the officers involved, and senior officers listen carefully to independent views. Despite this community-led scrutiny being strong and effective, it doesn’t systematically inform the training that officers receive. The force is making plans to do this.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, Essex Police recorded 22,305 use of force incidents. This was an increase of 3 percent compared with the previous year. This is equivalent to 11.76 use of force incidents per 1,000 population. In the same period, 18.3 percent of the use of force incidents were carried out on people from an ethnic minority background. In the force area, 11.2 percent of the population is from an ethnic minority background.
The force has carried out some analysis of this disproportionality. It told us that Black people were four times more likely than White people to have a Taser used on them, but 30 percent of Black people who had a Taser used on them were not residents of Essex. This type of analysis is in the preliminary stages but shows a thoughtful approach. And it supports wider activity within the Police Race Action Plan to understand and explain disproportionality.
In October 2024, we published our ‘Report on an inspection visit to police custody suites in Essex Police’.
Essex Police has responded positively to the findings of this report and is determined to enhance its approach to the supervision and monitoring of the use of force within the custody environment. It has already provided additional training, changed reporting processes and introduced additional managerial reviews. We will report in more detail on its progress in due course.
Essex Police is adequate at prevention and deterrence.
We found that the force is inconsistent in identifying antisocial behaviour linked to cases when they record other types of crime or incident. This means it isn’t always carrying out effective risk assessments, which help inform how the force should deal with a case.
Local policing team officers who attend reports of antisocial behaviour incidents aren’t correctly identifying medium and high-risk cases. Sometimes, control room personnel will provide the attending officers with background information about the caller, suspect or location, which is held on police systems. But officers are often expected to find this information themselves. During our inspection, we were told that officers are generally not doing this. This means that officers aren’t always identifying repeat and vulnerable victims, a key element of the risk‑assessment process. By failing to carry out adequate, consistent risk assessments, the force isn’t always giving victims the support they need.
The force has a meeting chaired by a senior officer, which should review high-risk and repeat antisocial behaviour cases. But this meeting relies on incomplete data due to the lack of consistent identification of antisocial behaviour and the flawed officer risk assessments. This means that the force’s scrutiny processes fail to make sure that victims receive the robust level of police investigation, problem-solving and safeguarding support required.
In our 2021/22 PEEL inspection of Essex Police, we said that the force needs to do more to evaluate its approach to problem-solving and tackling crime. The force hasn’t responded quickly enough to this area for improvement. This means that victims may be let down, and the force is failing to effectively learn what does, and does not, work.
The force has instructed all neighbourhood policing officers and staff to complete online training, and provided problem-solving training to many officers. The force is planning to enhance its training provision and has appointed an officer to a new dedicated training role.
Encouragingly, we found that problem-solving was seen as something everyone in the force should be doing. In July 2024, the force introduced a problem-solving hub, which, as well as providing guidance, should hold a record of all finalised and ongoing problem-solving plans.
At the time of our inspection, there were 56 plans stored on this hub. Its purpose is to allow those dealing with new problems to draw on the experience of others as they develop formal plans, using a recognised model based on scanning, analysis, response and assessment. We found that some of these plans lacked detail, while others had been in place for a long time without being refreshed or reviewed by a supervisor.
Officers and staff we spoke to demonstrated an awareness of problem-solving techniques. But the value of consistently using formal plans and the force’s recording process, wasn’t accepted by everyone.
The force told us that its domestic abuse problem-solving team (DAPST) has 46 officers dedicated to managing individuals deemed to be at the highest risk of causing serious violence. With academic support, the force has refined its data analysis process and ranks all offenders in order of their likelihood of causing serious harm in a domestic situation. Those posing the greatest risk are allocated to DAPST officers, who develop a plan to reduce that risk.
From all domestic abuse offenders, typically averaging over 3,000 individuals in Essex, the analysis identifies 125 individuals who currently pose the highest risk, and they are then allocated to a DAPST officer. The officers work with statutory and other partners, such as the probation service, to gather information about these individuals. Officers then develop problem-solving plans to address safeguarding risks to victims, alongside identifying opportunities to target, disrupt and prosecute offenders.
DAPST is proactive, aiming to use any lawful means to prevent crime and safeguard vulnerable victims. During our inspection, we were able to speak to officers and review documents that provided several powerful accounts of their work. This included:
To help protect a vulnerable victim in one case, officers obtained an interim Violent Offender Order. Police monitoring revealed that the suspect was breaching the order. As well as safeguarding the victim, police were able to provide evidence that led to the offender receiving an increased prison sentence for breaching the interim order. Essex Police then secured a full order to help protect the victim for five years.
The force reviews data around domestic abuse incidents, including repeat victimisation. It says that, following the introduction of DAPST, the repeat incident rate started to decline significantly. While it doesn’t attribute this completely to the work of DAPST, it believes the team has contributed to the decline. The force would like a formal academic evaluation of the effect of DAPST to be carried out. The University of Essex and University of Liverpool have put forward a joint funding bid to carry out this evaluation.
Essex Police works with partners to make sure that vulnerable victims of fraud receive the best possible support. The National Trading Standards’ Scams team has developed a multi-agency approach to fraud. Using this national approach, the force works with banking institutions, statutory partners such as adult social care, charities and other agencies. They pool resources, expertise and intelligence to detect, prevent and respond to fraud, while offering support to victims.
Supported by Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Portsmouth, the force has digitised the multi-agency approach to fraud using IT applications that were already in use by its partners. This allows appropriately vetted employees to access information and use a shared platform to understand crime patterns, and to record activity completed and the results of this activity.
The key aim of this approach is to prevent fraud from occurring by better understanding the information held by each of the partners, co-ordinating messaging, and working together to upskill those who work in communities.
For example, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s fire prevention officers have received training on vulnerability factors. When they identify a vulnerable person, fire prevention officers (and staff from other partner agencies) can quickly and simply make an online referral through the Frontline smartphone application. This allows victims to receive targeted support from an appropriate agency.
With support from the University of Essex, the force has developed a bespoke package for victims of romance fraud. At the time of our inspection, the force was supporting nearly 200 victims. Victims are offered the opportunity to join a romance fraud peer support group. A trained police volunteer supports victims for several months and they are also offered a range of other specialist help.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to prevention and deterrence.
Minerva is a project commissioned by Essex Police using Home Office science, technology and research funding, and developed by Nottingham Trent University. Using police and local authority data, it identifies areas with the highest levels of crime or incidents relating to violence against women and girls, and where public concern is greatest. The project allows the force to understand the possible causes of vulnerability in these locations. It shares this information with community safety partnership colleagues and works with them to proactively implement activities that make sure people are, and feel, safer in these areas.
Community safety partnership colleagues hold regular meetings about issues affecting communities. These are informed by strategic and tactical assessments, along with dynamic information sharing. In some locations, this information flow is improved by police and partners working together in community hubs.
The force benefits from additional funding from the Home Office’s serious violence: funding allocations. This supports high-visibility, targeted police patrols in areas where data analysis shows there is a risk of serious violence. The force also analyses how long officers have spent in these areas using an IT application.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, Essex Police recorded 8.1 antisocial behaviour incidents per 1,000 population. This is lower than the typical value of 16.4 per 1,000 population across the 43 police forces in England and Wales. The number of antisocial behaviour incidents recorded by Essex Police had decreased consistently over the preceding three years. In the year ending 31 March 2024, Essex Police recorded 15,300 antisocial behaviour incidents, 28 percent fewer than the previous year. Some of the decrease in reported antisocial behaviour could be attributed to an increase in hotspot patrols in key areas and the effective use of antisocial behaviour legislation. The force should make sure that it fully understands why it has one of the lowest reported levels of antisocial behaviour in England and Wales.
The force has a strategic crime prevention plan and carries out co-ordinated activity with its partners. It is a member of the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit, which organises primary, secondary and tertiary prevention activities, including:
Essex Police told us that is has problem-solving plans for its top 50 highest harm offenders, identified using the Cambridge Crime Harm Index. We heard one example of a child who was repeatedly committing crimes, but a partnership response led to them getting a college placement, diverting them from crime.
Clear, Hold, Build is a Home Office-backed scheme that brings together public services to tackle offending and address underlying issues affecting communities. The force is working with partners in an area in Harlow to bring out sustained, long‑term change in places that have been blighted by serious and organised crime. They are pursuing offenders, breaking up and dispersing gangs, and creating strong, resilient neighbourhoods.
The force has given several employees at Stansted Airport training on how to recognise victims of modern slavery, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. They work with Essex Police and other organisations to identify and support victims.
The force also works with the business sector by developing partnerships to prevent crime, tackle organised crime and reduce antisocial behaviour. We saw several examples of the force adopting a problem-solving approach, such as in its work to reduce shoplifting, which included the use of preventative orders upon conviction.
While we found some strong examples of problem-solving, the force needs to systematically identify crimes and incidents that relate to antisocial behaviour, as set out in the areas for improvement at the beginning of this section. It then needs to make consistent, effective use of problem-solving tools to make sure that victims receive a good service.
Essex Police has officers and staff dedicated to neighbourhood policing. We found that police officers were sometimes removed from their area to carry out other duties, particularly incident response, and often at short notice. But the force has attempted to minimise this, and officers told us that it is happening less often.
We found that the force has a clear commitment to neighbourhood policing. However, due to budget pressures, a proportion of police staff posts across the force are being kept vacant in 2024/25, and this includes 11 percent of police community support officer roles.
We found an inconsistent approach to the briefing of neighbourhood officers and staff at the start of their shifts. Generally, they are self-briefing by searching the police crime and incident systems, although some with advanced IT skills are doing so using a Power BI system. While they are assigned tasks on a fortnightly basis, the force should improve its focus on how these officers and staff are allocated work. This will allow the personnel to work in and with communities to create safer places to live and work.
The force has used data to identify the various communities it serves, with community safety engagement officers working in all areas. There is also a rural engagement team that works across the force area.
The force keeps the public up to date on issues affecting them in various ways, including:
We found that the force was working with representatives of various religious communities to better understand their concerns. It was also working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to increase reporting and reduce violence against women and girls.
Castle Point had one of the lowest levels of public confidence of any area served by the force, according to local survey data. After analysing the population makeup, the force developed a 12-month improvement plan using the information from its analysis to design ways of working with the community. These included police visiting train stations on weekdays to have quick conversations with commuters and visiting gyms at weekends.
As well as taking action to address local priorities, the force also focused on how to communicate these activities to the public. This involved a communications strategy via social media, local media, independent advisory groups and local community representatives.
The force told us that survey results showed that public confidence had improved by 20 percentage points over the course of the 12 months, and this allowed the force to gather information about a series of burglaries.
In the year ending 31 March 2024, Essex Police had 251 special constables. Compared with the year ending 31 March 2023 (when it had 327 special constables), the number has decreased by 23 percent. These volunteers are an important part of the force capability and Essex Police hopes to reverse this decline.
The force actively promotes the national Employer Supported Policing scheme. It told us that 90 employers in Essex allow their staff to carry out some volunteering duties for the force during work time.
The force has police support volunteers who carry out a wide range of roles. The force aims to match the role performed with the skills of the volunteer. There are also police cadet leaders who volunteer their time to run units offering opportunities for children aged 13 to 18.
Essex Police is adequate at responding to the public.
In the year ending 31 December 2024, the force told us that 26.73 percent of calls to its non-emergency 101 number were abandoned.
As set out by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in its 2020 National Contact Management Strategy principles and guidance, forces with a switchboard should aim to have an abandonment rate lower than 5 percent. A high abandonment rate of non-emergency calls may mean that callers go on to make inappropriate calls to the 999 system. It also means that a force has a degree of risk that isn’t understood or addressed, as the content of any abandoned call and the risk it may have contained is unknown.
This was an area for improvement in our 2021/22 PEEL inspection. During this inspection we found that the force analyses data to help understand why people hang up. It checks to see if the caller followed advice given in a recorded message and reported the incident using its online system. But it still needs to take steps to reduce the number of calls that are abandoned.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force responds to the public.
The force’s targeted operating model sets out how any contact with Essex Police is assessed, prioritised and dealt with. The force has an effective management structure, which provides governance and oversight of the control room and the implementation of the new ways of working. As part of this process, many officers and staff have undergone substantial training and had changes made to their working arrangements.
All personnel working in the control room should be able to carry out any of the initial contact, dispatch and crime recording roles. When the targeted operating model was introduced in April 2024, the force knew that insufficient numbers of personnel were fully trained. There were also vacancies that took eight months to fill with trained officers and staff. The force told us that it would have a fully trained workforce by March 2025.
Understandably, some personnel struggled to adapt to these changes quickly enough, despite clear plans and support. These factors created significant challenges that affected the force’s service to the public. In the summer of 2024, the control room functions were so stretched that the deputy chief constable led urgent meetings to find interim solutions.
In the latter stages of our inspection, the control room functions were more stable, with the appropriate number of officers and staff in place and the new IT systems working properly. The force should continue to focus significantly on its control room functions to make sure it has the capacity and capability to carry out all of its critical functions.
In the year ending 31 October 2024, the force answered 80.4 percent of 999 calls within 10 seconds. This is below the expected standard of 90 percent within 10 seconds, and below the percentage of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds in most other forces in England and Wales.
The force is working hard to meet the national target. We found that senior leaders consistently assess performance data to inform decision-making. But there is still much to be done to achieve the expected standard.
Figure 1: Proportion of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds by forces in England and Wales in the year ending 31 October 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.
Members of the public can report crimes and other issues, such as road traffic incidents and antisocial behaviour, via the force’s website. Some of these reports are automatically directed to the crime recording system and others to the control room email system. Supervisors monitor all online reports, making sure that vulnerability and urgency are identified at the earliest opportunity.
During our inspection, we found many emails requiring attention, with some having been left unattended for far too long. Towards the end of our inspection, staffing levels had improved and this meant that the force was managing these messages in a timely manner. It is important that this improvement is sustained so the public receive a prompt and effective service.
As part of our inspection, we carried out an assessment of the service that Essex Police provides to victims. This victim service assessment (VSA) included looking at how the force responds to callers. We found that call handlers mostly use a structured process that assesses threat, harm, risk and vulnerability. They are polite and give victims advice on crime prevention and how to preserve evidence.
Our VSA found that call handlers checked if the caller, or any other person involved, was vulnerable in 79 of 82 relevant cases. Where a vulnerable person was identified, this was recorded in 32 of 34 cases.
Call handlers identify repeat victims, but don’t always use the information effectively. This means that they aren’t always fully aware of the victim’s circumstances when considering what response they should give.
Improving the way the force identifies repeat victims was an area for improvement in our 2021/22 PEEL inspection. Training has focused on this, and our VSA found evidence of call handlers carrying out checks to identify repeat victims to inform the triage risk assessment in 77 of 82 relevant cases. The information gathered when a repeat victim had been identified had been used effectively in 31 of 40 cases. The force is using our VSA findings to re-emphasise to personnel the importance of identifying repeat victims, not only in making initial prioritisation decisions but also when carrying out investigations.
Improving the timeliness with which the force responds to routine incidents was an area for improvement in our 2021/22 PEEL inspection. During this inspection, we found considerable focus being applied to how quickly officers arrive at all grades of incident.
Every incident recorded by Essex Police is given one of several response categories. These include:
The force sometimes chooses to deal with priority and routine incidents by telephone. But it doesn’t do this consistently, which prevents the force from having a clear overview of whether response times are being met and understanding what areas need additional effort.
In the year ending 31 December 2024, Essex Police told us that of the incidents it attended:
Our VSA included looking at how the force responds to incidents. It is important to let the public know if there is going to be a delay in the police response and reassess the risk this creates. We found that the caller or victim was updated regarding a delay in 8 of 14 relevant cases.
Our VSA found there was effective and appropriate supervision when required for response or deployment in 10 of 25 cases reviewed. This lack of supervision can prevent the police from gathering evidence effectively and let victims down.
If the force isn’t attending incidents within its target times and isn’t informing victims of delays, victims could lose confidence and disengage from the process.
The mental health street triage team consists of police officers and mental health nurses who work from the police control room. They provide advice when a call is received indicating that a person may be suffering a mental health crisis, and they can attend the incident in police vehicles if required. This positive partnership approach is funded by the force and Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
The number of calls of this nature that Essex Police receives is reducing, which the force attributes to the work carried out between partners under the Government’s Right Care, Right Person approach.
There are plans to change how help is provided. From April 2025, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust will respond to mental health crisis incidents. A paramedic and mental health nurse will respond, in one of four mental health joint response ambulances. If Essex Police control room staff or officers dealing with incidents need advice on how to deal with vulnerable people, they will be able to ring these nurses between 1pm and 1am each day. Outside those hours, officers and staff can speak to a mental health nurse who is part of the increased NHS 111 service.
Our VSA found that appropriate risk assessments were completed by attending officers for victims and others in 22 of 26 relevant cases.
In domestic incidents, supervisors check these risk assessments. In medium and high‑risk cases, a central team completes a secondary risk assessment, correcting any errors.
For stalking incidents, officers use a different approach for cases that are domestic abuse related than for those that aren’t domestic abuse related. The force has identified that the quality of these assessments needs to improve.
In hate crime incidents, a central team checks that a risk assessment has been completed. The force told us this only happens in around half of the cases that it should. This means that the correct level of support and investigation doesn’t happen immediately, which lets victims down. This central team makes sure that a risk assessment is completed – in urgent cases, the team will personally carry out risk assessments – to make sure that immediate victim care needs are met.
The force has a series of guidance documents to support frontline officers in effectively responding to incidents. The criminal investigation department and other specialists can offer guidance for more serious cases at all times. The force is also investing in rape and serious sexual offences first responder training for nearly 3,000 members of staff to make sure they are equipped to support victims and investigate crimes.
Essex Police is adequate at investigating crime.
The force isn’t always achieving acceptable outcomes for victims of crime. The number of crimes that it solves following investigations is low. The force needs to understand why this is, and work to achieve better outcomes for victims.
Figure 2: Percentage of victim-based crime recorded by Essex 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 | 7.3% | 6.3% |
| 2 & 3 – Caution – youths & adults | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| 8 – Community resolutions | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| 9 – Prosecution not in the public interest (Crown Prosecution Service decision) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 10 & 21 – Prosecution not in the public interest (police decision) | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 14 – Evidential difficulties (suspect not identified but the victim declines or is unable to support) | 7.1% | 5.8% |
| 15 – Evidential difficulties (suspect identified; victim supports police action) | 11.4% | 13.1% |
| 16 – Evidential difficulties (suspect identified; victim doesn’t support or withdraws support) | 21.5% | 21.3% |
| 17 – Prosecution time limit expired | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| 18 – Investigation complete – no suspect identified | 41.5% | 43.3% |
| 20 – Action undertaken by another body/agency | 3.0% | 1.5% |
| 22 – Diversionary, educational or intervention activity | 1.3% | 0.4% |
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 1) outcome by Essex Police between the year ending 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.
In the year ending 30 June 2024, Essex Police recorded 128,679 victim‑based crimes. Of these recorded offences, 11.6 percent were assigned offences brought to justice outcomes. This was within the normal range compared to other forces in England and Wales.
We found that the force scrutinises outcomes at its performance and crime standards board meetings. This allows senior leaders to understand performance and what improvements may be needed to give victims better justice. In the year ending 30 June 2024, the proportion of victim-based crimes assigned each outcome by Essex Police was in the normal range for forces in England and Wales, except for outcomes 21 and 22.
In the year ending 30 June 2024, the force’s rate of assigning outcome 21 (suspect identified, further action not in public interest (police decision)) for victim-based crimes was 0.0 percent, which was lower than typical for forces in England and Wales, where the average was 0.6 percent. The force only applies this outcome after consideration by a decision-maker in its central team.
In the year ending 30 June 2024, the force’s rate of assigning outcome 22 (diversionary, educational or intervention activity) for victim-based crimes was 1.3 percent, which is higher than expected for forces in England and Wales. The force’s use of this outcome has reduced since the year ending 30 September 2023, when it stood at 1.9 percent. The force reviewed how it was using this outcome to make sure it was only used in the correct circumstances.
Essex Police has an operation to reduce the theft of motor vehicles. A key part of this is to bring more offenders to justice. This involves officers and staff across the force, including specialist investigators, working in a co-ordinated way. For example, by checking cargo containers awaiting export through the ports and identifying organised crime groups responsible for vehicle theft. Increased performance focus on this type of crime and the introduction of minimum standards of investigation are significant parts of this operation.
In our last inspection of Essex Police, we found that the force needed to make sure it complied with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (‘the Victims’ Code’). The force hasn’t made enough progress in this area.
In 85 of 100 cases examined during our latest victim service assessment, the force was judged to provide a good level of service in line with the Victims’ Code. But we found limited use of victim needs assessments. These happen early in a case to determine if a victim needs any extra support during the investigation or later in court. They were clearly recorded in only 30 of 74 relevant cases. Where a victim was entitled to an enhanced service, it was recorded in only 29 of 45 relevant cases.
The force told us of the introduction of an action plan to improve performance in this area. But, during our fieldwork, we found that while officers were aware something needed to change, they were unclear what was actually required and why. It is important that the force understands victims’ needs so it can give them the right support.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force investigates crime.
The force has identified the need for 926 investigators who have completed the professionalising investigations programme (PIP) at level 2. On 31 March 2024, the force had 586 investigators (63 percent of the required number) accredited at PIP level 2 and 263 officers in PIP level 2 training. This is an improvement on the previous year when 58 percent of the required posts were filled.
The force is committed to increasing the number of officers completing the PIP level 2 accreditation processes. The force supports officers as they carry out their training and has introduced a graduation ceremony so officers and their families can see the importance given to the role of detective.
In October 2024, the force told us that 51 percent of constable roles in the child abuse investigation team and 48 percent of constable roles in the adult sexual abuse investigation team were filled by officers who weren’t accredited at PIP level 2. As well as the PIP level 2 training and accreditation, these specialist investigators require other training, such as the specialist child abuse investigators development programme and achieving best evidence interview skills programme. Some of this training can’t be completed until the officer is accredited at PIP level 2, further affecting the service provided to victims. Our fieldwork revealed a considerable level of inexperience and lack of qualification for these roles among officers.
The force wants all officers working permanently in the domestic abuse investigation teams to complete a bespoke training course. But it told us that only 48 percent of those in post in December 2024 had done so. Essex Police told us of plans to train all these officers. It should do this quickly to provide the best possible outcome for victims.
During our fieldwork, we found very committed officers and staff carrying out serious and complex investigations. The workloads of these specialist teams vary, but they are consistently high. The force knows this and has taken several steps to address the issue, including:
While supervisors aim to allocate the most serious cases to accredited investigators, this is often not possible. We found that supervisors allocate time to supporting those with the least experience, but more experienced team members investigating more complex cases lack the time to consistently support unqualified colleagues.
The force has identified large variations in investigations assigned an offence brought to justice outcome where similar cases were investigated by the same department in different areas of the force. This means that the service provided to victims varies depending on what area of the force investigates their case. We will be watching closely to see how the force tackles this challenge.
In common with many forces, Essex Police has an inexperienced workforce, and many of its new officers are on its local policing teams. The force has extended the length of training for new police officers and provides them with extra training in investigation and case file preparation.
The force has appointed a senior officer to improve the investigation work carried out by these officers. This senior officer is supported by a small team. Working with each of the three local areas in turn, they:
The force has other initiatives to improve the quality of its investigations. It is testing these so that the most helpful ones can be used across the force.
The force is committed to effectively investigating all cases of domestic abuse. Supported by funding from the Home Office, it told us of plans to provide domestic abuse matters training to all officers in local policing and domestic abuse investigation teams. This is important training that will help produce better outcomes for victims.
As part of our inspection, we carried out a VSA of the service Essex Police provides to victims. This assessment included looking at how the force investigates crime. There was evidence of an appropriate investigation plan in line with the College of Policing’s authorised professional practice for investigation in 69 of 78 cases. The plan was followed and updated in 63 of those 69 cases. Overall, there was evidence that all appropriate and proportionate investigative opportunities were taken from the onset and throughout the investigation in 80 of 97 cases. Overall, 80 of 100 investigations were judged to be effective.
We found evidence of effective supervision in 79 of 91 cases. During our inspection, we found that all sergeants were managing high workloads. Some were routinely working extra hours to supervise investigations and support officers. While this level of commitment is laudable, the force needs to make sure that supervisors have the time they need to provide a consistent service to all victims.
Our VSA included looking at how the force finalises investigations and whether it records the correct outcome for them. Positively, we found that the victim was consulted prior to the outcome being administered in 27 of 28 relevant cases. And their views were taken into account in 43 of 45 relevant cases. But we found that crime investigation finalisation had effective and appropriate supervision in 64 of 80 relevant cases, with the correct outcome applied in 62 of 80 relevant cases.
The force has a system that helps supervisors apply the correct outcome code to an investigation. Some of these outcome codes need approval from a senior manager to make sure they are used correctly.
Lack of supervision can lead to appropriate lines of enquiry being missed. Applying an incorrect outcome code may stifle understanding of why some victims choose not to support prosecutions, as well as understanding of how the force is performing.
During our inspection, we saw a good example of how the force gets a detailed understanding of victims’ views of the investigation of more serious offences. The victim closure discussion process leads officers through a series of questions at the end of each investigation. This means that officers systematically explain what has happened during the investigation and ask the victim for their views. The force used this to improve how some officers were investigating rape cases.
Essex Police requires improvement at protecting vulnerable people.
The force oversees progress of a nationally accepted action plan to support improvement and response plans across vulnerability. But its governance arrangements don’t have enough focus or structure for the force to understand all of the risk being managed and respond appropriately to concerns. The force makes some use of performance data to track progress, but this should be strengthened.
We found that the governance structure for the force’s response to domestic abuse was fragmented. This left the force without oversight of some aspects of this important part of policing. The force is one of the lead agencies of the multi‑agency risk assessment conference (MARAC), where partners meet to discuss how to keep high-risk victims of domestic abuse safe.
At the start of our inspection, we couldn’t find a senior officer with responsibility for this important work. This meant the force wasn’t sufficiently aware of how the MARAC processes were functioning. For example, in the year ending 30 September 2024, 2,050 cases were discussed at MARAC meetings in Essex. This is lower than the 3,120 recommended by the domestic abuse charity SafeLives, based on the size of the local population. This suggests that information about all appropriate cases may not be shared between partner agencies. The MARAC processes increase the safety of victims and their children. Following our feedback, the force aligned responsibility for MARAC to senior officers.
Effective governance processes make sure that procedures are being followed. They should identify and resolve issues before they arise. But we came across an example where the force only identified a systemic failure in the protection of vulnerable adults after a death.
Frontline officers should send a referral form to a specialist team within Essex Police, who should then review the case and pass details of vulnerable adults on to local authority safeguarding teams. The force told us that 26.3 percent of the reports written by frontline officers in a 12-month period weren’t sent in the required way to this specialist team, and 14.9 percent were never received by them at all. Failing to pass on information about vulnerable adults prevents partners from making sure they are safeguarded. Despite this, Essex Police chose to review only 306 of 547 relevant cases.
Senior officers told us that a new process had been introduced to make sure these reports were automatically sent to the specialist team. This was not the case. A new process had been designed but was still awaiting implementation.
The force and its officers and staff are committed to protecting vulnerable people. We saw many examples of good oversight, auditing and use of performance data. But these two examples show that the force needs to make sure the breadth and quality of its governance, performance monitoring and auditing is at a level that allows it to identify and address issues consistently.
The force has a good understanding of the use of pre-charge bail with appropriate conditions to safeguard victims. This is an important tool to protect not only domestic abuse victims, but also victims of other types of serious crime such as child abuse and sexual offences. But the force doesn’t consistently monitor suspects who are on bail with conditions, set by the police or courts, to make sure they are abiding by these conditions. This places the responsibly of reporting any breaches of bail conditions on victims, who may be traumatised or afraid.
In our 2021/22 PEEL inspection, we said that the force should make sure that preventative orders are considered in all appropriate cases. Since then, the force told us it has implemented better processes to achieve higher levels of applications for Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs). The force also has processes to monitor perpetrators’ compliance with these orders.
In the year ending 30 September 2024, the force was a low user of DVPOs. It only applied for these important orders in 0.76 percent of recorded domestic abuse‑related crimes. Levels of applications did improve between 30 June 2023 and 30 June 2024, but in the three months to 30 September 2024 began declining. The force needs to make sure that it applies for DVPOs in all relevant cases.
Figure 4: Number of DVPO applications as a percentage of domestic abuse crimes for all forces in England and Wales in the year ending 30 September 2024
Source: Data collection and analysis from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Figure 5: Quarterly number of DVPO applications, applications granted and breached for Essex Police
Source: Data collection and analysis from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
We found inconsistent processes for sharing information between the force and children’s social care teams. The force had one method for Thurrock Council and Southend-on-Sea Council, and a different approach for Essex County Council.
Officers used to input information directly into Essex County Council records management systems. This meant they weren’t creating a record of any referral within police systems. There was no oversight, supervision, quality assurance, formal research, triage or tracking of these referrals. This lack of oversight meant the force wasn’t promptly and systematically contacting Essex County Council to initiate joint strategy meetings when necessary. These kinds of delays can result in safeguarding interventions not being put in place, with children left at risk of harm unnecessarily. We also found cases where police and social care staff should have carried out joint visits to see children, but they hadn’t.
We were told that the force had been working extensively with Essex County Council’s children’s social care to improve how information is shared. In January 2025, the referral process changed. A report is now sent by officers to Essex Police’s child triage team. They review and develop the report to the same standard found in other parts of the force area. This allows police to rapidly identify if it is necessary to arrange a strategy discussion.
The force committed funding to Essex County Council’s children’s social care so that police referrals can be added to council systems each morning. A small team of officers and staff – known as the children and families’ hub – have been co‑located within council buildings to improve communication and access to information. There are no plans for this new hub to carry out the role of a multi‑agency safeguarding hub, which we found to be working well in Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea Councils’ areas. The force should make sure that it works effectively with its partners to keep children safe in all three council areas.
Safeguarding vulnerable people of any age can be complex. It is important that officers and staff with this responsibility have the skills and training necessary to provide a high-quality safeguarding response. Personnel should be able to correctly identify and reduce risk and arrange an appropriate multi-agency response.
During our inspection, we spoke to many committed and knowledgeable officers and staff. In some teams, guides had been developed to help new starters. Personnel routinely work with partners to safeguard vulnerable children and adults. But, apart from training for detectives working to protect children, we found there was no formal training in place for personnel in safeguarding roles.
The force should make sure that officers and staff responsible for protecting vulnerable people have sufficient training to carry out their role effectively.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force protects vulnerable people.
The force has a central point of contact and senior detectives in each area who can provide guidance to officers investigating stalking. It also holds a stalking intervention panel, where police and partners, such as Essex Compass, review some cases. The panel gives investigative guidance and checks that the best possible support is given to victims.
In November 2022, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity dedicated to reducing stalking and harassment, submitted a super-complaint on the police response to stalking. In response, a joint investigation was carried out by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services, the College of Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. A report was produced, which made 29 recommendations for police and partner organisations. Essex Police used this report to build upon its earlier understanding of areas that needed improvement.
The force uses separate risk assessment tools for domestic abuse and non-domestic abuse stalking offences. Force data revealed that 22 of 425 non-domestic abuse stalking offences reported between 30 November 2023 and 1 December 2024 had a risk assessment documented. The force’s research also identified that non-domestic abuse stalking offences weren’t always identified. The force completes secondary risk assessment of all medium and high-risk stalking cases. Allocation of investigations to specialist teams is based upon these higher risk levels being identified. This means that some victims may not receive the necessary level of support, and appropriately qualified officers may not be allocated to investigate the crime. We will monitor the force’s efforts to address this situation.
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme allows police forces to disclose information about individuals’ previous offending in order to protect their partners.
The force has worked with the University of Essex to reform its approach to disclosures, leading to an increase in requests and approval rates. The reformed approach includes a three-tiered review of its decisions to approve or not approve disclosure by:
Once a decision is made to disclose information, in appropriate cases, the rapid video response team arrange a video call.
The force told us that between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 it took an average of 17 days to make a disclosure, with 80 percent made within the 28-day target time. However, during the summer of 2024, demand increased, which the force says was due to increased public awareness. During this time, the rapid video response team had been called away on other duties, which led to increasing delays in decision-making and the time it took to make a disclosure.
Once these delays were identified, the force allocated extra officers to clear the backlog. This important scheme can reduce harm by giving any member of the public the right to ask police if a partner may pose a risk. The force should make sure that its resourcing is appropriate and sustainable to comply with the statutory guidance.
The force has a sexual violence scrutiny panel attended by independent sexual violence advisers, independent domestic violence advisers and victim support services. On occasion, victims have attended or the panel has heard victims’ recorded testimonies. The panel reviews cases where a decision to take no further action has been made. It also looks at certain types of cases, including sexual violence against victims from ethnic minority groups.
One victim’s account of a poor level of service was used to improve officers’ understanding of good practice. It was played to all senior officers in the force and is used in the training of new recruits. Testimony from a victim of rape, who waived their right to anonymity, was played at a local partnership conference. The victim praised the support they received from police and partner agencies.
There are nationally recognised processes to learn from serious cases, including:
These detailed review processes make recommendations, which the force responds to in a structured way.
Formal reviews take time to reach detailed findings. Essex Police operates a rapid debrief process for incidents of serious violence that resulted, or could have resulted, in homicide. This has been recognised as good practice in the College of Policing practice bank. A review team swiftly assesses what was known by police and partners to decide if any opportunity to prevent the incident was missed. They then make recommendations to prevent such incidents happening again.
Essex Police uses the Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment process. Officers are required to also complete a safeguarding checklist to make sure a victim is safe from further harm.
High and medium-risk assessments are subject to secondary review by the domestic abuse risk assessment team (DART). Its inspector also dip samples a small number of standard-risk cases every month.
Officers don’t always complete the safeguarding checklist. In high and medium-risk cases, the DART team makes sure this is corrected. The force is planning to make the form quicker to complete in lower risk cases and emphasise its importance during mandatory domestic abuse training. The force needs to make sure that safeguarding is always considered in order to keep victims safe.
The force has trained officers about the importance of identifying all children connected to domestic abuse incidents. DART officers check that children have been identified during their secondary risk assessment. We visited a multi-agency safeguarding hub and were pleased to see that all available computer systems were searched to identify any children connected to incidents.
At the time of our inspection, Essex Police was sharing information with some schools about some domestic abuse incidents affecting their pupils under Operation Encompass. Encouragingly, the force wants to standardise this process by sharing information about all domestic abuse incidents with every school in its area.
Essex Police is adequate at managing offenders and suspects.
All police, probation and prison services use the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) database to manage the risk posed to the public by convicted sexual and violent offenders. The lead agency risk assesses the offender in partnership with other agencies, using all available information. Police use an active risk management system to establish the risk level when they are the lead agency, and then develop a risk management plan for the offender. The risk management plan details how the risk will be managed by all partner agencies, including the probation service.
While the force had a local system to monitor the number of overdue active risk management system assessments, risk management plans and visits to offenders’ homes, this didn’t reflect the information held on ViSOR. This meant that senior officers thought the force’s management of sexual and violent offenders (MOSOVO) process was working well, but this was not the case. The force responded quickly to concerns we raised and has made some improvements, but more is needed to effectively manage the risk these offenders pose to the public.
Essex Police should visit all offenders regardless of whether the force or probation service is the lead agency. The police have the power to enter homes and carry out checks in accordance with court orders that restrict an offender’s activity, such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders. The force hadn’t been doing this systematically and was instead prioritising cases where it was the lead agency. This meant it could miss a change in behaviour that may put the public at risk.
The force has improved its use of ViSOR. It has received support from other forces to understand how best to use the system. But, at the time of our inspection, there were still delays in the system being updated and errors identifying who the lead agency was. We will monitor with interest its plans to trial technology to help offender managers record information from their visits in a timelier manner.
The force makes sure its management of sexual and violent offenders department is kept at full strength and tries to maintain an appropriate ratio of offender manager to 50 offenders. Each of these managers has a supervisor. An imbalance in team sizes means the workload of these supervisors is very different. The force told us that in one area supervisors were responsible for supervising the management of 236 offenders compared to 517 in another. The number of offender managers they supervised varied between 5 and 13 officers and staff members.
The force provides some support to the busiest supervisors, but they were still having to work extra hours to carry out their role. Supervisors need the time to support offender managers as they carry out the extra work generated by increased focus on all offenders, regardless of who the lead agency is. The force needs to make sure supervisors have a manageable number of reviews to complete. This will allow them to provide meaningful oversight of the risk posed by offenders in the community.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force manages offenders and suspects.
The force has robust performance oversight of suspects who need arresting and the level of risk they pose to the public. We found that officers were prioritising their time to arrest those at the highest risk of causing the most harm. Colleagues provide support to make sure they are found as soon as possible.
Live facial recognition is available via vehicle-mounted cameras. It checks against a predetermined watchlist to:
The force told us that it had made 30 arrests in the three-month period following the introduction of this technology in August 2024. It also used live facial recognition as part of wider efforts to find a child reported missing in an area where the technology was initially being used to locate wanted people.
The force needs to strengthen its strategic oversight of suspects released under investigation, and the use of pre-charge bail and voluntary interviews.
The force’s IT systems allow officers and their supervisors to track when a suspect is due to return to a police station after a period on pre-charge bail. And the force has data on how often suspects are bailed or released under investigation.
Some suspects don’t need arresting, but instead attend voluntary interviews at a police station. We found some evidence that the use of voluntary interviews was monitored, and senior officers were taking steps to make sure they were only used where appropriate.
The force told us it is improving the information available for review at its investigation improvement board. This should allow senior officers to maintain a stronger oversight, keep victims safe and secure better outcomes for victims.
We reviewed case files for investigations involving the possession of indecent images of children and found them to be of an appropriate standard.
Cases categorised as high or very high risk are promptly dealt with by the police online investigation team. The force is aware of some short delays for those assessed as low risk. Senior officers have a good oversight of the performance of this team, whose members are appropriately trained for their roles and have manageable workloads.
At the start of these investigations, there are some delays in checking police computer systems to help identify suspects. The force is taking steps to reduce this backlog in a sustainable way. During ongoing investigations, the force regularly checks intelligence systems to see if there is new information about the suspect. The force is considering ways to make sure that investigators are automatically updated on new information.
The force has processes that make sure it shares information with children’s social care to safeguard children and families, both before and after it takes enforcement action. It uses bail conditions to keep children safe during the period of the investigation and applies for court orders to help keep them safe in the longer term. In the section on protecting vulnerable people in this report, we highlight how the force needs to consistently enforce these bail conditions to keep children safe.
It is sometimes appropriate to carry out voluntary interviews with suspects for low-risk investigations. We are pleased to see that the force is now carrying out these interviews at the time of executing search warrants. Previously, the force had delayed these interviews, often for over six months, until examination of seized electronic devices had taken place. This meant that some suspects were potentially not being identified as soon as possible, meaning children could be put at unnecessary risk.
Police investigate indecent images of children to safeguard children and bring offenders to justice. This work can have a detrimental effect on investigators’ well‑being. These personnel need extra support.
Officers and staff receive mandatory psychological screening to help spot issues before they become a problem. We found that supervisors are committed and knowledgeable and help to create an appropriate working environment.
NHS-funded therapists work within the team. This gives the workforce immediate access to counselling and support for work or home-related concerns. We found that this support is welcomed by officers and staff and undoubtedly increases their well‑being and reduces the risk of absence.
Essex Police is good at building, supporting and protecting the workforce.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to how well the force builds, supports and protects the workforce.
Officers and staff investigating serious and complex investigations need effective support to prevent welfare issues from arising. We found that when personnel are struggling, managers in the force make time to support them effectively. But sometimes managers are so busy they lack the time to have routine one-to-one welfare conversations.
The force trained all investigators and their managers on how to monitor and improve well-being. Although this approach is positive, investigators are often too busy to make best use of their training. And many don’t recall being trained. The force needs to make sure managers have the necessary capacity to support the workforce consistently.
The force has identified roles that present a high risk to officer and staff well-being. It recently increased the number of roles that receive regular mandatory psychological screening. These changes are positive, but it will take time for the workforce to feel the full effect.
The force has established processes for post-incident support, including:
The force supports effectively members of its workforce who have been assaulted or the victim of hate crime.
The force’s Safe to Say campaign, which is in its eighth year, underpins its efforts to create an inclusive workplace environment. The chief constable provides personal leadership, making good use of advice from staff networks and independent advisory groups. The force told us that over 95 percent of the workforce has completed role-related equality, diversity and inclusion training.
The force makes sure reasonable adjustments are put in place when required. Building on the skills of its occupational health team, Essex Police trained several people to carry out work-based dyslexia assessments. Those trained understand the role well, and this allows those needing assistance to receive a more effective response.
The force uses reasonable adjustments in promotion processes. And it uses information about an individual’s personal situation to inform decisions on flexible working and adjustment to duties, to encourage applications from under-represented groups.
The force recognises the importance of continuing to take steps to create a fully inclusive workplace. The prevention and engagement team provides training and raises awareness of inclusivity across the organisation. It focuses on teams where issues may be emerging. Most of the officers and staff we spoke to during our inspection said they feel empowered to challenge discriminatory behaviour.
Essex Police has processes that help it understand the barriers preventing officers and staff from developing and progressing. The force assesses its own procedures, and effectively communicates with the workforce directly and via staff networks.
The force is taking action to address the barriers it has identified. For example, its positive action plan includes a range of measures to develop and support members of the workforce from under-represented groups. Actions include:
The force gathers views from staff support groups, with each group having a designated chief officer to make sure that any matters raised are considered. The force funds a full-time officer in one of these groups, which allows the force to better support its members and improve force processes. For example, this officer was instrumental in making changes to the support provided for personnel from any background who are victims of hate crimes.
The recruitment and training of student officers is expensive, and the force does all it can to retain them. New officers spend time in Essex Police College, where they are encouraged to share their thoughts on the recruitment and training process in regular meetings. The force is responsive to their feedback and has made changes for new recruits, including:
The force analyses data to understand why and at what stage in their careers student officers choose to leave Essex Police. This information is reported to senior leaders and steps have been taken to change how new officers are supported. This includes officers from under-represented groups receiving even greater levels of help from the multiethnic support association at key points early in their careers.
As part of a new retention process, officers are encouraged to disclose if they are thinking of leaving Essex Police. If an officer says they are thinking of leaving, their case is immediately reviewed by senior leaders to establish if anything can be done to encourage them to stay. The force has a group of retention ambassadors who work outside the line management chain. The ambassadors work with officers to understand why they are thinking about leaving and offer support to encourage them to remain in the force. If, following these interventions, the officer still wants to leave, they attend a meeting with a senior officer. This allows the force to truly understand the rationale behind the officer’s decision to leave and make a final attempt to convince them to stay. The force told us that, as of 1 December 2024, of the 98 officers who were referred to the retention ambassador process, 61 people were still working for Essex Police.
Some new officers immediately take on investigative roles, via the Investigate First entry route. These inexperienced officers are carrying out complex investigations and supporting victims of serious offences, often without receiving the necessary guidance.
Many Investigate First officers we spoke to felt out of their depth in the face of these cases, which often involve vulnerable victims. These student officers are often unwilling to ask for the help they need because their supervisors and colleagues are already under pressure. If they do ask for guidance, other officers don’t always have enough time to offer them sufficient support.
We were pleased to see the force quickly respond to our feedback on this matter. Senior officers have made sure effective support for Investigate First officers is in place. But Essex Police should take steps to make sure that the level of support given to these officers is consistent and relevant to their skill level.
Essex Police’s leadership and management is adequate.
In our 2021/22 PEEL inspection, we highlighted the force’s inconsistent resourcing. The lack of understanding of capacity and skills in key areas was putting pressure on the workforce and affecting the service provided by Essex Police.
The force has carried out strategic analysis of demand and uses its force management statement process to assess capacity and capability. It has focused its continuous improvement programme on key challenge areas including local policing, investigation and custody provision. But during our inspection, we found that developing the capability of the workforce and having sufficient capacity remains a challenge.
The force doesn’t have enough investigators accredited at Professionalising investigations programme level 2. The force plans to fill this gap, but projects that, it still won’t have achieved the required number by 2030.
The force has shifted resources to manage demand in the domestic abuse investigation teams, but some of these officer redeployments are only temporary. And at the time of our inspection, just under half of the officers dedicated to domestic abuse investigation had completed the necessary training.
The force should make sure that the capacity and capability of its workforce matches demand, with officers and staff using their skills fully and deployed to best effect.
In this section we set out our main findings that relate to leadership and management.
On the whole, Essex Police has effective governance and performance management processes, and is developing its use of data and analysis. A new Power BI tool allows frontline personnel and senior leaders to understand demand and performance across a wide variety of data points.
It has an effective force management statement process, which is an integral part of its planning process. This helps the force make sure that it targets its resources towards meeting its priorities. Despite its financial pressures, the force still aims to improve performance and allocate resources appropriately.
The force’s policing plan is clearly understood by its workforce, and it has an appropriately challenging but supportive approach to managing performance. Significant emphasis is placed on the level of public confidence in Essex Police and how this can be improved.
Senior leaders are accessible and make an effort to understand the views and opinions of the workforce. Chief officer group meetings take place across the county. Senior leaders take time to speak with officers and staff working in these locations and address any concerns they raise.
The force monitors workforce sentiment and takes action to address their concerns. Staff have access to Viva Engage, a social media-style platform. When posts on the platform receive a significant number of responses, the force works with the workforce to understand their feelings on the issue and consider how improvements can be made.
Some departments carry out staff survey work. Senior leaders in the serious crime directorate presented the findings of a survey to officers and staff and set out their plans to make changes based on the findings. These changes include raising awareness of flexible working options and plans for improving buildings.
The force provides effective leadership training. All police officer and staff grades up to chief inspector level take part in the locally developed Be the Change programme. As well as teaching leadership skills, the programme gives relevant operational training at each level. This allows the chief constable and their senior team to develop and influence these important leaders.
We carried out a survey that was open to all Essex Police personnel, regardless of role. Of those who had line manager responsibilities, 76.8 percent (429 of 559 respondents) agreed that Essex Police equipped them with sufficient training to carry out their line manager role.
Data provided to us by Essex Police in spring 2024 showed that, in the year ending 31 March 2024, the force received £226,000 per 1,000 population in total funding. Since providing us with this data, the force has revised its funding figure for this period, but it hasn’t changed substantially.
The force has made £62 million in cashable savings since 2016/17. Despite this, it has had to make further financial savings for the year 2025/26. After fast-paced discussions with the Home Office, the force finalised efficiency and savings plans that will result in a further £8.5 million of recurring cashable savings for 2025/26.
The force has spoken to the Home Office about making changes to rules to give Essex Police greater flexibility in how it allocates its funding.
Essex Police needs to invest in several large capital projects totalling £74 million. These include improvements to its estate, firearms range and fleet workshop. The force doesn’t have the capital funds to make these investments, but the improvements would clearly lead to better efficiency in the force. The need for these capital projects has been evident for some time. At the time of our inspection, the leadership team was looking at how to make these necessary changes while maintaining an effective police service.
A key priority within Essex Police’s force plan is to prevent crime. Not only does this reduce the risk of harm to victims, but it also reduces investigative demand.
The force identifies those most likely to commit crime using the Cambridge Crime Harm Index and develops problem-solving plans to prevent offences. It has also invested in a team of officers dedicated to preventing domestic homicide.
At a time of significant financial pressure, the chief constable has reaffirmed that investing resources in prevention activity is essential.
The force collaborates effectively with its primary partner, Kent Police. This brings about savings through economies of scale. For example, the shared digital transformation board helps the effective prioritisation and optimisation of IT projects across both forces. More widely, the regional seven-force collaboration has evolved into the eastern region innovation network, which formalises a shared approach to technology and best practice.
The ambition for further collaboration has reduced in recent years as the forces feel they are already working together on the areas that benefit from collaboration. But the requirement to make further savings may cause the forces to explore further collaboration opportunities.
The force has improved its approach to innovation and continuous improvement and is catching up in some areas that haven’t benefited from focus recently. This includes looking at how demand is resourced and whether the force can make better use of internships and graduate programmes.
Essex Police has a change roadmap, which sets out the steps needed to improve how it operates. A key element of this is identifying how the force can learn from and work better in its collaborations with other police forces.
The force is clear that there must be an identified cashable or non-cashable saving attached to every project. The level of saving informs the force’s prioritisation of change projects. The force is strong at tracking the benefits of its change projects, a process that the chief constable has invested in.
The force plans to invest more in robotic processing and data transformation, but it is behind other forces in terms of making improvements. The force is also trying to maximise systems it already has, such as Microsoft 365.
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:
Essex PEEL assessment 2023–2025
You can find more about Essex Police on our dedicated force page.
Increasing volume and complexity of certain crime types results in a high demand for services.
With the second lowest cost of policing nationally, our ambition to improve service quality by maximising very limited financial resources is a significant challenge.
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.
