Inspectors say Cambridgeshire police are ‘good at reducing crime’

Cambridgeshire police has been rated as ‘Good at keeping residents safe’, by government inspectors.
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The report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) also said the force was rated as Good at reducing crime and for using resources.

The inspection, which took place in June last year, looked at police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), and for the first year combined the three pillars into a single inspection.

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Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “We are delighted with the HMICFRS judgement of ‘good’ across all three categories in the inspection.

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“A great deal of hard work and effort has gone into shaping the force to understand the complexity and scale of our demand, aligning our workforce plans to our priorities, and ensuring we have the resources and skills we need to be able to meet the needs of our growing communities.

“This has clearly had an impact and the improvements we have made and are continuing to make in the way we investigate crime and manage vulnerability effectively have been recognised by HMICFRS.”

Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, Ray Bisby, added: “The Chief Constable and his team have worked incredibly hard to bring about these results and I am pleased to see HMICFRS have recognised the improvements made in keeping communities safe and tackling crime across the county.

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“As Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, it is important that I do everything I can to make sure the Constabulary has the resources it needs in order to maintain and improve its ‘good’ grading. There will always be challenges, but I am reassured that the Force is in the best possible position to respond to increased demand for service.”

In her report, Zoë Billingham said: “The force is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. Since our last inspection, the force has improved how it investigates crimes. It has also developed better ways to make sure it identifies and responds to people at risk. It works closely with local partners, like councils, to protect vulnerable people.

“Cambridgeshire Constabulary understands the complexity and scale of demand for its services. It is using this information to develop its financial and workforce plans to meet future needs. It is good at prioritising its use of resources and at making sure it has the right staff available to assist the public when they most need the police. Senior leaders continue to uphold an ethical culture and promote the standards of behaviour it expects well.”

However, while the force was praised in the report, inspectors said there were areas for improvement.

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The report said: “The force should make better use of neighbourhood policing officers to support the ongoing safeguarding of vulnerable victims and manage the risks that high-harm perpetrators pose within communities.

“The force should ensure that it has sufficient resources available to respond appropriately to prompt (within one hour) calls for service, particularly for incidents of domestic abuse.”