Forces are stressed by complex and changing demand

FORCES in England and Wales are significantly stressed under the weight of complex and changing demand, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has said.

The third PEEL Police efficiency report, which assesses how well forces in England and Wales understand demand, use their resources and plan for the future, said: “Resources have been reduced significantly and while the demand on policing is growing and changing, workforce numbers are decreasing.

“New, growing areas of activity, such as modern slavery and non-recent sexual abuse, present the police with new problems.”

However, forces are generally managing their resources well, according to the report, with the majority of forces being graded ‘good’. Two forces have been graded as ‘outstanding’, 30 forces as ‘good’, 10 forces as ‘requiring improvement’ and no force was considered ‘inadequate’.

HMI Mike Cunningham, who led the inspection, said: “The findings from this inspection are positive, with the majority of forces able to demonstrate that they have absorbed budget reductions well and have improved the efficiency with which they operate.

“We recognise the pressures forces are facing are increasingly complex. The speed with which forces can improve efficiency relies on the continued resilience, adaptability and commitment of those working in policing. From speaking to staff and officers throughout every police force in England and Wales, we can see that policing is under significant stress.”

As a result, forces will have to make “very difficult decisions” about where it will focus its resources, the report found.

Mr Cunningham added: “In the last year, we have seen bravery and professionalism in dreadful circumstances, showing that policing relies on the commitment and dedication of its workforce, whatever their rank or role, to help keep the public safe.

“Forces continue to have to make challenging financial decisions. However, the majority of police forces need to be much more ambitious in their plans for changing how policing services are offered in the future, and to accelerate those plans, especially when improving their digitally enabled services.”

Durham and Thames Valley Police were rated ‘outstanding’ while Bedfordshire, Dyfed-Powys, Humberside, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Metropolitan Police, Nottinghamshire, North Wales, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire were told they needed improvement.