North Yorkshire Police rated good in six areas by HMICFRS

However, the police inspectorate said it needs to improve how it provides a safe and lawful custody environment.

The force was rated good at Leadership and Force Management; Attracting, developing and retaining the workforce and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace; Using powers fairly, appropriately and with justification; preventing and deterring crime and anti-social behaviour and reducing vulnerability; Safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm; and Managing fraud.

It was also graded adequate at Responding to the public and Investigating crime.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector Michelle Skeer OBE QPM said: “I am pleased with the performance of North Yorkshire Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and giving victims an effective service. The force has made improvements since our last inspection, particularly in its leadership and support for the workforce.

“The force has good governance in place. It has clear strategic plans informed by accurate information and a detailed performance framework. Its funding is within the typical range for forces in England and Wales. The chief officer team is now stable, and the chief officers give regular briefings. This is positive for its performance and culture in the future.

“But I have concerns about how the force is managing its custody areas.

“The force began acting on our feedback about its custody suites at the time of this inspection. It should improve its oversight of custody and should also improve the risk assessments of all detainees throughout their time in custody and upon their release. We found that the force treated detainees with dignity, respect and appropriate care.

“I am optimistic that North Yorkshire Police will continue to make improvements. I have given North Yorkshire Police recommendations that set out the areas it needs to focus on, and I will continue to monitor its performance.”

In response to the report, Deputy Chief Constable Scott Bisset said: “We welcome all the findings of HMICFRS in its PEEL Report into North Yorkshire Police. Achieving six very solid good gradings demonstrates the excellent progress we are making in our ambition to be an outstanding force, which provides the best service to victims and communities across the City of York and North Yorkshire. This is a true reflection of the hard work and commitment to public service of all those working at North Yorkshire Police.

“The report represents independent findings which show that North Yorkshire Police has continued to improve over the last three years. We have demonstrated a focus on prevention, with a 9.5 per cent reduction in crime over the last two years. We are arresting more criminals more quickly, are third in the country for charging suspects and detect more crime than two years ago. This work is contributing to the lowest overall crime rate per head of population across England and Wales and North Yorkshire Police also has one of the highest public confidence ratings.

“Our average answer time for 999 calls has reduced from seven seconds to four seconds in the last two years. The average wait time for a member of the public who calls us with a non-emergency call has decreased from four minutes and 41 seconds to three minutes in the last two years – but we still have a firm focus on improving our response to 101 calls.

“As much as we recognise the progress, we still have work to do. North Yorkshire Police is not complacent. Specific areas for improvement have been identified in the report and we will continue to work hard, including with our partners, to address the important areas identified.  As the report states, we have already taken robust steps to address any recommended areas for improvement and the focus continues.”