Staffordshire Police has made improvements, but further changes needed

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has graded Staffordshire Police’s performance across eight areas. It found the service was ‘good’ in one area, ‘adequate’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in three areas.

HMICFRS said that the force uses data more effectively, which has improved its understanding of demand, and of its capacity and capability to meet it. By having better access to data, this has helped the service better monitor the standard of investigations, how it responds to the public, and how it manages the risk posed by offenders.

However, the inspectorate said that the force still has challenges in these areas. For example, inspectors said the force needs to reduce the number of non-emergency 101 calls that are abandoned by callers.

Inspectors also said that the force must also make sure that victims of domestic abuse receive an effective service. At the time of inspection, a large number of victims (38 per cent) were turning down the opportunity to complete a Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment (DASH) risk assessment. Officers are also not always wearing body-worn video when attending incidents.

Staffordshire Police was moved into Engage, an enhanced level of monitoring, in June 2022. Following several improvements made, Staffordshire Police was moved out of Engage in May 2024 and returned to routine monitoring.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: “I am pleased with some aspects of the performance of Staffordshire Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service, but there are areas in which it needs to improve.

“The progress we observed in our inspection was supported by a much more effective use of data. We found that better access to data helped staff understand the force’s performance and the service provided to victims. This helps the force more effectively monitor key areas such as how it manages the risk posed by offenders.

“But the service still has more to do in how it investigates crime and responds to the public. The force is also aware that there is an issue with how it responds to incidents of domestic abuse; it must make sure that victims receive an effective service.

“While I am pleased with how the force has responded to the concerns identified in the last inspection, challenges remain in some areas and I will continue to monitor progress closely.”

Chief Constable Chris Noble said: “Overall, this is a positive report for Staffordshire Police which is reflective of the hard work and commitment of officers and staff to improve the service we provide to Staffordshire communities.

“Since our last full inspection over two years ago, we have been focused on improving all our areas of policing by adopting a back-to-basics approach to ensure we focus on delivering the best possible service to our communities – answering emergency calls faster, arresting more criminals, solving more crimes and further improving our local policing model.

“We have seen particular improvements in the amount of time it takes us to answer 999 calls, how we identify vulnerable callers and how we ensure they get the right support, right away. Investments in our control room and the introduction of new processes and teams mean we now answer the majority of 999 calls in less than 10 seconds, a 15-second improvement from two years ago, despite seeing 10,000 more calls every year compared to 2022.

“The Inspectorate has commended our ability to effectively address members of the public who make unnecessary repeat 999 calls, which has allowed us to free-up time for the people that need us most. We’re also working more closely with partner agencies through our Right Care, Right Person initiative to ensure health-related calls we receive are responded to by the most appropriate agency.

“HMICFRS has recognised that we need to do more in reducing wait times for our non-emergency 101 service and we already have plans in place to enhance this service through investing in more staff and adopting cutting-edge technology, to ensure it’s a response we are proud of.

“Our return to a local policing model, which has now been in place for two years, sees us work more closely with local communities to tackle the local issues that really matter to them. HMICFRS has recognised our improved problem-solving approaches and our work with partner agencies to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour at its source. Our engagement with local communities has also significantly improved with increased opportunities for two-way engagement with local officers.

“We’ve also invested heavily in a new public protection unit to provide more officers to tackle the most serious crimes, such as serious violence and sexual assault, which have a lasting impact on vulnerable people.

“HMICFRS has noted our improved compliance with the Victims’ Code in ensuring victims of crime are informed and empowered through every stage of the investigation process. It has also commended how we work closely with partner agencies to ensure the most vulnerable people in our communities are protected from harm.”

He added: “We are well underway in addressing the inspectorate’s challenge to us as to how we respond more consistently and effectively to reports of domestic abuse. We are currently working on a new approach that will significantly reduce the time it takes to respond to grade 2 domestic abuse-related incidents. We have also already implemented a seven-step plan which seeks to improve our response from the initial attendance to the end of the investigation.

“A number of other improvements are already in train and I am confident we’ll be able to robustly address our weaker performing areas in the same way we did following the 2022 inspection while ensuring the positive changes we’ve already made are maintained.

“This is a positive report for Staffordshire Police but it also outlines areas of focus where we have already well developed plans and intended investments. We have not waited for the report to land to start our work and my commitment, and that of my staff, is that we will not rest on our laurels but push on to deliver a service to the Staffordshire public that we can all be proud of.”

Staffordshire police, fire and rescue and crime commissioner Ben Adams said: “Very few forces have seen improvements across the board in their recent HMICFRS inspections, and it’s a credit to Staffordshire Police that they have improved in nearly all grade areas.

“There is now a real basis on which to build an outstanding local police service, which is what the people of Staffordshire want to see. I know this ambition is shared by every police officer, staff member and volunteer, driven by the absolute determination of Chief Constable Chris Noble to return the force to being outstanding once again.

“I will provide the resources to allow Staffordshire Police to do just that, continuing my oversight of performance and governance to ensure this momentum is maintained.”