THE CHAIR ASKS
This needs to improve, such as getting the basics right when it comes to crime prevention and neighbourhood policing. By the basics, I mean things that are the fundamental expectations of citizens including, among others:
• Investigating the crime; • Keeping the victim informed; and • Bringing the offender to justice.
after its workforce and encouraging an ethical, lawful and inclusive workplace?
• Answering the phone; • Attending the incident (if not suitable for remote response);
Finally, substantial elements of the police services’ governance, leadership and the workforce arrangements need substantial reform. Without making these changes, forces will not have the best chance of tackling the challenges which lie
SH: Your report called for more scrutiny on vetting and the recruitment process. What steps do forces need to take to do this? AC: Forces should have a comprehensive understanding of the current and future demand on their vetting and counter- corruption units to ensure they are properly resourced. In November, we published a report on police vetting, which made over 40 recommendations for police forces. Forces need to follow our recomm-
essential tool in both preventing and detecting crime and well-targeted stop and search is a valuable tool in the police’s problem-solving toolbox. But the police need to better understand how to use it – both effectively and fairly. The visible representation of police officers on the streets taking action improves confidence throughout the wider community. However, the benefits of stop and search in relation to deterrence, detection, prevention and as a visible sign of policing activity in local neighbourhoods need to be researched more widely for all communities. Currently, communities
“How good is the force at building, developing and looking after its workforce and encouraging an ethical, lawful and inclusive workplace?”
ahead and of demonstrating to the public they are trustworthy.
SH: Further to rebuilding public confidence, what role can HMICFRS undertake to motivate police officers and police staff? AC: Policing is built upon its professional workforce – both officers and staff. It is essential they are motivated to undertake their important work. But at the same time as public trust has been called into question, so has the motivation of the workforce. The motivation of officers and staff is directly affected by how they are treated by the public and by their perception of public trust in the police. The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) pay and morale survey 2022 found 79 per cent of respondents did not feel members of the police were respected by the public. If forces improve public trust, it should also improve workforce motivation. However, motivation is also impacted by other factors, including by how the force treats its staff. In the same PFEW survey, 82 per cent of respondents said they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the previous 12 months. Police forces must do all they can to tackle this issue.
HMICFRS has an important role to inspect and report on police forces’ performance in this area. In our PEEL assessments 2023-2025 one of our question areas looks at workforce issues, asking the question – how good is the force at building, developing and looking
endations and implement these changes. We have seen progress from every force. We have been clear on the importance of chief constables and police forces implementing these recommendations as a priority and we will continue to monitor progress.
SH: Why do you consider that forces are failing to get the basics right in investigation and responding to the public? AC: As mentioned, even when forces are spending their time on the right issues – they are still missing the basics on too many occasions. This can be seen in our latest round of PEEL inspections, where 30 per cent of our graded judgments were inadequate or requires improvement. These are largely related to responding to the public and investigations. These are still the worst-performing areas, and in many cases, a victim in one area of England and Wales will get a vastly different response to a victim in another. We have told forces where they need to make improvements, such as targeting repeat offenders, taking opportunities to gather vital evidence and identify offenders as soon as victims contact the police. They must also make sure officers receive the appropriate levels of training, guidance and supervision. We will continue our focus on these fundamental elements of effective policing during our next round of PEEL inspections.
SH: You have called for more research into the police use of stop and search. Why? AC: In my view, stop and search is an
23 | POLICE | OCTOBER | 2023
have clear concerns about the fair use of stop and search. Home Office figures show in the year ending 31 March 2022, throughout England and Wales, people identifying
as Black or Black British were searched at a much higher rate than those from a White ethnic group. The presence of disproportionality in crime victimisation rates doesn’t adequately explain why there is disproportionality in stop and search rates. There needs to be better evaluation and more research to measure disproportionality and the effectiveness of stop and search to fully understand how it affects certain communities and deters crime.
I have recommended that the NPCC, working with the College of Policing, should commission more research. This research could have a meaningful effect on police practice and help forces make sure that they use stop and search effectively and fairly.
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