Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Reports

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)


Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has developed the PEEL (police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy) programme to evaluate police force performance in England and Wales, which assesses how well each of the 43 forces:

  • Provides value for money (efficiency)
  • Cuts crime (effectiveness); and
  • Provides a service that is fair and treats people properly (legitimacy)

Each force is annually assessed against these three themes, and given one of four ratings for each theme:

  • Outstanding
  • Good
  • Requires Improvement; or
  • Inadequate

The aim of PEEL inspections is to allow the public to see clearly the performance of their local force.

HMIC publishes the results of these assessments in a user-friendly format, making it easy for the public to tell at a glance how well their local force is performing and, over time, whether it is improving or deteriorating.

Click here to view Northamptonshire Police’s HMIC Reports

Northamptonshire Police’s specific page on the HMIC website can be viewed by clicking here.


PEEL 2021/22 – An inspection of Northamptonshire Police

In 2019 HMICFRS raised some concerns, and since then there has been a significant effort to review and change structures, processes, and workforce culture. This has led to improvements in the force’s ability to investigate crime, identify the vulnerable and manage demand. HMICFRS have commended the progress made by Northamptonshire Police in improving the service it provides to the public and they  have confidence in its plans for the future. These are the findings they consider most important from their assessments of the force over the last year.

Details of the report can be found here

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, Stephen Mold welcomes the latest PEEL inspection report from HMICFRS. The Commissioner welcomes the fact that the report identifies the great deal of positive work that has been undertaken and progress achieved by Northamptonshire Police since the last PEEL inspection. He welcomed the progress in areas such as investigating crime, preventing crime and supporting victims.

He acknowledges the key findings and identified areas for improvement, contained within the report and the work still expected. He has already discussed with the HMI, Roy Wilshire the way HMICFRS can monitor and report on progress in these areas via it’s new continuous assessment process.

The Commissioner has discussed the report with the Chief Constable and will be seeking progress reports on the AFI identified via his formal monthly accountability board processes.

 


PEEL: Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy 2018/19

In 2018-19 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services  adopted an integrated PEEL assessment (IPA) approach to their existing PEEL inspections. This combines into a single inspection the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy areas of PEEL. They now assess forces against every part of their IPA programme every year.

Inspectors found that Northamptonshire Police:

  • ‘requires improvement’ in effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe;
  • is ‘inadequate’ at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
  • ‘requires improvement’ in the way it treats the public and its workforce.

Read the report here

Read our response here


PEEL spotlight report: Shining a light on betrayal Abuse of position for a sexual purpose

The abuse of position for a sexual purpose of people who have come into contact with the police for help is abhorrent. All forces need to fully understand this type of offending, take all opportunities to identify warning signs and stop it from happening.

This report examines this important theme in greater detail. We provide a national picture, drawing on the finalised findings from the 29 forces in the first two tranches of our integrated PEEL assessments, and the early findings from the third and final tranche of forces.

Read the report here

Read our response here


Northamptonshire – National child protection post-inspection review

Protecting children is one of the most important tasks the police undertake. Only the police can investigate suspected crimes, arrest perpetrators and monitor sex offenders. Police officers have the power to take a child who is in danger into a place of safety, or to seek an order to restrict an offender’s contact with children. The police service also has a significant role working with other agencies to ensure the child’s protection and well-being, longer term.

This inspection reviewed the progress made in Northamptonshire Police since the publication of HMICFRS’s Northamptonshire – National Child Protection Inspection in 2018. It is part of a rolling programme of inspections of all police forces in England and Wales.

Northamptonshire – National Child Protection Post-Inspection Review

PFCC Response to HMICFRS Report


Time to Choose - An Inspection of the Police Response to Fraud

In 2018, the Home Secretary commissioned HMICFRS to carry out an inspection of the police response to fraud. HMICFRS inspected the effectiveness and efficiency of the police response to fraud, including online fraud.

This inspection which was commissioned by the Home Secretary took place between March and July 2018 and looked to assess whether:

  • law enforcement has a well-designed strategy for tackling fraud;
  • organisational structures provide the necessary capacity, capabilities and partnerships; and
  • victims of fraud receive a high-quality response.

Fraud: Time to choose – An inspection of the police response to fraud (PDF document)

PFCC Response to HMICFRS report Fraud Time to Choose


PEEL: Police effectiveness 2017

Report published on 22 March 2018

Rating Requires Improvement 

HMICFRS adopted an interim risk – based approach to inspection in 2017 in order to focus more closely on areas of policing where risk to the public is most acute. Under this approach, not all forces are assessed against every part of the PEEL effectiveness programme every year. Northamptonshire Police was assessed against the following areas in 2017:

  • Preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour;
  • Investigating crime and reducing re – offending;
  • Protecting vulnerable people;
  • Tackling serious and organised crime; and
  • Specialist capabilities.

Judgments from 2016 remain in place for areas which were not re-inspected in 2017. HMICFRS will continue to monitor areas for improvement identified in previous inspections and will assess how well each force h as responded in future reports.

Northamptonshire Police requires improvement at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

The force has made considerable efforts to respond to previous HMICFRS recommendations and has improved in some areas, but some of the changes have yet to result in tangible improvements in the service to the public. Now the building blocks for more effective policing have been put in place, the force recognises the need to sustain its efforts in order to further improve the services it provides.

Click here to read the full report

HMICFRS Effectiveness Inspection – Letter from Rt Hon Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service – 18th April 2018

Response to the Minister’s letter from the PCC


PEEL: Police effectiveness 2016

Report published on 2 March 2017

Rating Requires Improvement

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) assessed the effectiveness of police forces across England and Wales.

An effective police force is one which keeps people safe and reduces crime. These are the most important responsibilities for a police force, and the principal measures by which the public judge the performance of their force and policing as a whole.

To reach a judgment on the extent of each force’s effectiveness, HMIC’s inspection answered the following overall question: How effective is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?

Northamptonshire Police requires improvement in respect of its effectiveness at keeping people safe and reducing crime. HMIC’s overall judgment is the same as last year, when we judged the force to require improvement.

Northamptonshire Police has weaknesses across a range of areas. Crime prevention activity, investigative standards and the safeguarding provided to vulnerable victims all need to improve.

The force has adequate arrangements in place to fulfil its national policing responsibilities, but needs to address shortcomings in its approach to tackling serious and organised crime.

PEEL- Police effectiveness 2016 Report

HMIC Effectiveness Inspection – Letter from Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service – 7th March 2017

Response to the Minister’s letter from the PCC and Chief Constable


PEEL: Police leadership 2016

Report published on 8 December 2016

Rating N/A

As part of our annual inspections of police effectiveness, efficiency, legitimacy and leadership (PEEL), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) assessed the leadership of Northamptonshire Police.

Police leadership is crucial in enabling a force to be effective, efficient and legitimate. The inspection is focused on how a force understands, develops and displays leadership through its organisational development and is based on the recent guiding principles developed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing and HMIC.

Northamptonshire Police has engaged with its workforce to create a clear set of leadership expectations that are well recognised and understood across the workforce, although some additional communication is now needed. The force has a number of ways of understanding its leadership capabilities, but it could broaden its use for example by including a greater focus on police staff. The force recognises these gaps and it is looking to address them.

Download the 2016 HMIC Police Leadership Report for Northamptonshire


PEEL: Police legitimacy 2016

Report published on 8 December 2016

Rating Good

As part of our annual inspections of police effectiveness, efficiency, legitimacy and leadership (PEEL), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) assessed the legitimacy of Northamptonshire Police  – a concept that is well established in the UK as ‘policing by consent’ – is crucial in a democratic society.

The police have powers to act in ways that would be considered illegal by any other member of the public (for example, by using force or depriving people of their liberty). It is therefore vital that they use these powers fairly, and that they treat people with respect in the course of their duties.

Northamptonshire Police has been assessed as good in respect of the legitimacy with which it keeps people safe and reduces crime. Our findings this year are consistent with last year’s findings, in which we judged the force to be good in respect of the legitimacy.

The force has a good understanding of the importance of treating the people it serves and its workforce with fairness and respect. It has an effective workforce vetting process, and the workforce can use range of ways to report corruption. The force seeks feedback from the workforce about their perceptions of fairness, and aims to identify their wellbeing needs.

Download the 2016 HMIC Police Legitimacy Report for Northamptonshire Police


PEEL: Police efficiency 2016

Rating Good

As part of its annual inspections into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), HMIC assesses the efficiency of police forces across England and Wales.

As with all public services, it is vital that the police service operates in a way that makes the most of all its available resources. Police forces need to make sure they understand the current demand for their services.

This is to make sure that they use all the resources available to them to fight all types of crime and to protect communities. Also, forces need to be looking to the future to understand how that demand may change and to plan where they need to invest extra resources or change the ways they operate so that the public can continue to receive the policing it expects and deserves.

Northamptonshire Police has been assessed as good in respect of the efficiency with which it keeps people safe and reduces crime. It is taking steps to understand current and future demand better and is developing tools to allow effective monitoring of changes in demand.

The force is developing its understanding of hidden demand. While it sets great store on the opportunities for savings and efficiencies from the use of ICT and closer collaboration with other forces, its future planning needs to be strengthened.

Download the 2016 HMIC Police Efficiency Report for Northamptonshire Police


PEEL: Police Legitimacy 2015

Rating Good

As part of its annual inspections into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), HMIC’s legitimacy programme assessed how legitimate Northamptonshire Police is at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

HMIC’s PEEL legitimacy inspection programme has assessed the culture within Northamptonshire Police, and how this is reflected in the force’s public engagement, use of Taser and compliance with the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme.

The chief officer team took seriously the need for an ethical and inclusive workforce, and allegations against officers and staff were generally dealt with fairly and consistently. It is clear that local teams engage positively with the public, but this approach lacks consistency.

The force is complying with most of the features of the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme, and use of Taser is fair and appropriate.

This is the first time HMIC has graded forces on their legitimacy, so no year-on-year comparison is possible.

Download the 2015 HMIC Police Legitimacy Report for Northamptonshire Police

HMIC-PEEL-Police-Legitimacy-Inspection-2015-Response


PEEL: Police effectiveness 2015

Rating Requires Improvement

As part of its annual inspections into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), HMIC’s effectiveness programme assessed how effective Northamptonshire Police is at keeping people safe and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

Northamptonshire Police requires improvement in the way it keeps people safe and reduces crime.

Although the force has a clear commitment to reducing crime and keeping people safe, there is room for improvement in the way it prevents crime and anti-social behaviour; levels of violent crime in the county remain too high.

Weaknesses in the assessment and allocation of crime for investigation are causing unacceptable delays; this needs to improve, and more needs to be done to improve how the force identifies and responds to vulnerable people.

The force also needs to work better with partner organisations in its fight against serious and organised crime.

This is the first year HMIC has graded forces on their overall effectiveness so comparison of their year-on-year effectiveness is not possible.

Download the 2015 HMIC Police Effectiveness Report for Northamptonshire Police

HMIC-Peel-Effectiveness-Response-FEB16


PEEL: Police effectiveness (vulnerability) 2015

Rating Requires Improvement

As part of its annual inspections into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), HMIC’s effectiveness programme assessed how well forces keep people safe and reduce crime. Within this programme, HMIC’s vulnerability inspection examined the overall question, ‘How effective are forces at protecting from harm those who are vulnerable, and supporting victims?’.

HMIC considered in depth how forces respond to and support missing and absent children and victims of domestic abuse, and assessed how well prepared forces are to respond to and safeguard children at risk of sexual exploitation.

Northamptonshire Police is trying to improve the service it provides in identifying vulnerable people and responding to them, so that the public can be confident that victims are well supported. However, there are still several areas where more improvement is needed to ensure the service is consistent and vulnerable people, particularly children, are kept safe. Given the scale of the challenge in this area and risk that is posed to some of the most vulnerable people overall, HMIC judges that the force requires improvement.

Download the 2015 HMIC Police Effectiveness (Vulnerability) Report for Northamptonshire Police

HMIC-Response-PEEL-15-Dec-2015


PEEL: Police efficiency 2015

PEEL: Police efficiency 2015

Rating Requires Improvement

As part of its annual inspections into police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL), HMIC’s effectiveness programme assessed how well forces keep people safe and reduce crime.

Within this programme, HMIC’s vulnerability inspection examined the overall question, ‘How effective are forces at protecting from harm those who are vulnerable, and supporting victims?’ HMIC considered in depth how forces respond to and support missing and absent children and victims of domestic abuse, and assessed how well prepared forces are to respond to and safeguard children at risk of sexual exploitation.

HMIC judges Northamptonshire Police to require improvement. The force has started to analyse demand but does not yet have a clear picture of all the areas of demand that it faces; nor has it sufficiently assessed future demand.

The force needs to develop how demand analysis is used to allocate resources and consider how to encourage joint working across Northamptonshire. While the force has started to assess the impact of demand from other public sector organisations, it has yet to work closely with them to jointly reduce this demand.

Download the 2015 HMIC Police Efficiency Report for Northamptonshire Police

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