Leicestershire Police has been given ‘good’ grades for the second consecutive year by government watchdogs.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has today (Tuesday 20 October) published its second round of “PEEL” Inspections which assess Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy throughout England and Wales.
This round of assessments looked at how efficiently Leicester Police operates which included:
• How efficient forces are at keeping people safe and reducing crime
• How well each force uses its resources to meet demand
• How sustainable and affordable each force’s workforce model is; and
• How sustainable each Force’s financial position is in the short and long-term
The four grades HMIC use are “excellent”, “good”, “requires improvement” and “inadequate”, and Leicestershire Police was judges to be “good”.
Deputy Chief Constable Roger Bannister welcomed the HMIC findings, but said that further cuts to police budgets due to be announced in November will test the ability of the force to maintain such standards.
He said: “We continue to remain committed to many of the issues highlighted in the HMIC report, like neighbourhood policing and using our resources effectively in response to increasing demand and I’m pleased that the overall report is very positive.
“However, two key financial issues are on the horizon. Firstly, the Governments proposals to change how it calculates how much money each police is allocated each year could well change. Under new proposals about which it is currently consulting, Leicestershire would lose up to £700,000.
“A decision on whether to go ahead with this new funding formula will be announced next month- at the same time that the Chancellor will set out his Comprehensive Spending review which could require Leicestershire Police to make further cuts in its budget of between 25% and 40%.
“Maintaining the standards highlighted by HMIC in its report today is exactly what we will strive for; but this will prove challenging against a backdrop of ever-tightening financial constraint.”
Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Clive Loader said: “The HMIC has recognised that Leicestershire Police continues to deliver an efficient service to the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and that we are prepared for the future financial challenges that lie ahead.
“There has been a significant amount of change in the last year and I am pleased that officers and staff members have remained committed to help protect the communities they serve, which is reflected in the grades given.”
This is the second time that Leicestershire Police has been judged as ‘good’ by the HMIC in its PEEL assessments. Its first PEEL report was published in November last year.
In its report today, Leicestershire was praised for:
- its commitment to neighbourhood policing
- maintaining a good financial position
- taking clear and effective steps to tailor its future workforce plans
- maintaining a mature collaboration within other East Midlands forces; and
- continuing to maintain a good working relationship with organisations at a strategic and tactical level.
View the HMIC PEEL: Police efficiency 2015 report
View the Formal Response to the HMIC PEEL Police efficiency report
Posted on Monday 9th May 2016