Top marks for police after an inspector calls

An inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) gave the force top marks for protecting the vulnerable, preventing crime, working with partners to reduce anti-social behaviour.

It also highlighted a number of innovative practices, including how officers keep those on a night out safe, using virtual reality to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime and diverting people from getting involved in crime.

The report also noted that, when crime does occur, the force carries out good investigations.

Among the areas for improvement were call handling response times – but Northumbria police say work is already under way to address this, including investment in technology and recruiting more staff to answer an increasing number of emergency calls.

The PEEL – police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy – inspection said it also had effective leadership, engages well with communities and understands and responds to their priorities.

Chief Constable Winton Keenen QPM said: “The volume of positive findings are a testament to the commitment and determination of our officers, staff and volunteers to provide our communities with the very best service possible.

“We have always maintained that protecting the most vulnerable is our number one priority and I am pleased to see this reflected within the report.

“We have been clear about our desire to bring the force even closer to communities in the North East and I am delighted the report recognises the meaningful engagement we have with the public.”

He added: “We are determined to build even further on such positive findings and where opportunities for improvement have been identified, we are determined to address them and build on the excellent work already underway.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “This report reflects the dedication of officers, staff and volunteers.

“I’m particularly pleased that the impressive work around crime prevention in our area has been recognised and I am committed to keeping this a key focus area for our force.”

She added: “It is concerning that the report highlights further efficiencies will need to be made. At a time of increased police demand, rising inflation and with a decade of cuts behind us – money is already very tight.

“Northumbria Police has a strong desires to deliver the best service it can but to do this it will need to be properly funded.”

The HMICFRS graded Northumbria Police performance across nine areas – finding it ‘good’ in seven areas, ‘adequate’ in one, and ‘requires improvement’ in one area – responding to the public.

The watchdog’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said: “I congratulate the officers and staff of Northumbria Police for their efforts in keeping the public safe and reducing crime. However, there are still areas where the force can improve to give a consistently good performance.

“Northumbria Police needs to improve the time it takes to answer emergency calls and reduce the number of non-emergency calls that are abandoned.”