Cleveland Police makes progress in all areas, but further work needed

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Cleveland Police’s performance across eight areas and found it ‘good’ in four areas, ‘adequate’ in two and ‘requires improvement’ in two.

Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey said for a force previously graded as ‘inadequate’ in all areas of policing he was “delighted that the scale and impact” of its improvement has been recognised by the inspectorate.

HMICFRS found that the force prioritises prevention. It views prevention work as vital in making communities safer and has made significant investment in its approach.

“The force is committed to a problem-solving culture,” it said. “For example, in each of the four areas the force covers, local officers and staff focus on the issues that most affect local communities. This has helped it work more effectively with partner organisations, especially community safety teams, to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour, reduce vulnerability and increase community confidence.”

Inspectors said the force has also improved the policing service it provides to the public.

Cleveland Police has the highest level of recorded incidents per 100,000 population when compared with the England and Wales average. It effectively oversees control room performance and is good at prioritising the calls it receives for service. But it needs to make sure it attends calls in line with its target attendance times.

The inspectorate also found that the force does n0t always achieve appropriate outcomes for victims of crime. It needs to ensure that investigations are allocated to officers and teams that have sufficient skills and experience to carry out quality investigations.

It should also continue to improve the oversight of its safeguarding strategy and delivery plans to make sure vulnerable people are better protected.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: “I am pleased with the performance of Cleveland Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime. But in order to provide a consistently good service, it needs to improve in some areas.

“Since our last PEEL inspection, the force has improved the policing service it provides to the public. I thank officers, staff and volunteers for their continued hard work to serve the communities of Cleveland. Because of that work, it has made progress in all areas since our last inspection and has improved in most judgment grades.

“Chief officers have made well-thought-out changes and investments to make sure the force uses its resources effectively to meet the public’s demands. And the force’s leadership, governance and performance processes have helped its officers and staff become more productive and proactive, as well as focusing on their wellbeing and supporting them to make communities safer.

“There are still areas in which Cleveland Police needs to do better, such as protecting vulnerable people and carrying out investigations. However, I am optimistic that the force’s leadership and management, together with its committed officers and staff, will continue to make improvements.”

Cleveland Police is now rated ‘good’ in: Police powers and treating the public fairly and respectfully; preventing and deterring crime and anti-social behaviour and reducing vulnerability; managing offenders and suspects; and building, supporting and protecting the workforce.

It is ‘adequate’ in responding to the public; and leadership and force management.

However, it still ‘requires improvement’ in investigating crime; and protecting vulnerable people.

Mr Storey said: “I’m delighted that the scale and impact of Cleveland Police’s improvement has been recognised by His Majesty’s Inspectorate in their latest report on the force’s performance.

“For a force previously graded as ‘inadequate’ in all areas of policing, there now isn’t a single ‘inadequate’ grading in this report – an outstanding achievement for all involved.

“Cleveland Police is now independently graded as ‘good’ in most areas, with dramatic leaps in the gradings around building a strong workforce and preventing crime and antisocial behaviour.

“Clearly, there is still work to be done and I am certainly not complacent about the ongoing improvement required to address some of the recommendations made within the report.”

The Cleveland PCC added: “However, it’s important that we take a moment to appreciate the journey Cleveland Police has been on in recent years, overturning its image to become recognised as one of the country’s most improved police forces.

“The scale of the force’s transformation is testament to the leadership and vision of Chief Constable Mark Webster. We’re privileged that he chose to spend the latter years of his 33-year career providing much-needed stability, direction and professionalism to Cleveland Police.

“And I thank the force’s hardworking officers, staff and volunteers for their dedicated service. Despite high demand and resourcing challenges, they make an effort every day to protect our communities from harm.

“Inspectors have recognised that the Cleveland force area has the highest levels of income deprivation and recorded incidents in England and Wales, in addition to receiving more 999 calls than the national average.

“Sadly, the current funding formula means policing in Cleveland is not appropriately funded to tackle these significant challenges – making the scale of recent improvements even more impressive.

“I believe this report makes Cleveland Police a very attractive proposition for an aspiring chief constable. On behalf of local people and victims of crime, I expect the force’s next leader to maintain this level of momentum, to ensure the Cleveland Police continues to stand out for the right reasons.”

Chief Constable Mark Webster said: “I very much welcome the publication of this positive report which demonstrates the significant work staff, officers and volunteers have done to see these improvements be realised in force.

“I am pleased the force has been recognised for the progress we have made and we are now one of the top performing forces in England and Wales and compared to other forces have seen some of the most significant improvements and substantial changes to the HMICFRS PEEL assessment grades.

“To have four areas of policing assessed as ‘good’ truly demonstrates the positive journey the force has been on over the last few years, and I hope this provides reassurance to the people of Teesside.

“We still need to see further improvement in the way we investigate crime and protect vulnerable people; both of which are areas of policing that are very important to Cleveland Police and we are striving hard to continue seeing progress.

“What we know is improvements need to be continuous and sustained and this can take time but we are confident that we are heading in the right direction in both these areas of policing. The vast majority of policing faces a similar challenge; we’re not unique so we are sharing ideas and working collaboratively to see further improvements.

“The improved picture for Cleveland Police in the inspection report comes at a time when we’re also seeing significant reduction in crime compared to the previous 12 months. These reductions, many of which are significantly better than the England and Wales average, are due to the force’s focus on being more proactive and delivering better policing more broadly.

“We hope that the publication of the force’s assessment provides confidence that we are working hard to protect the people and communities of Teesside. To maintain the status of being a well-performing force we will continue to need the support of residents, partner agencies, stakeholders and elected officials – support which we are grateful to receive.”

He added: “Since I arrived at Cleveland Police in 2022 I have been impressed by the hardworking officers, staff and volunteers who strive to make a difference in their various and varied roles right across the force. The results of today’s PEEL inspection is one reason I feel able to retire in July this year, as planned, as the force is now in an excellent place as it prepares for its next chapter on the journey.

“I know the 2,500-strong workforce will build on this performance and continue their hard work, that got us to this point, to see further improvements to support the people we serve.”