Cleveland Police Praised by HMIC
By Cleveland Police published 27 January, 2012 No CommentsCleveland Police is performing well when it comes to recording crimes accurately and consistently.
That’s the finding of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in a report The Crime Scene: A Review of Police Crime and Incident Reports.
Out today, the report examines how all 43 UK police forces and the British Transport Police (BTP) record, investigate and resolve crimes and incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB).
In a bid to establish the quality of data Cleveland Police collects, HMIC took a sample of the Force’s crime and incident records and examined them thoroughly to check if any potential issues would be flagged up.
The Inspectorate concluded that Cleveland Police had high standards in recording crimes and incidents and “made good use of investigation plans to ensure crime investigations were carried out proportionately, efficiently and effectively.”
They added that senior staff provided help in keeping incident and crime data high quality and specialist staff were closely involved in finalising crime records.
Crucially, the Force’s record of keeping in contact with victims was “very good, and supported by helpful computer systems.”
Assistant Chief Constable Sean White said: “We are pleased with the findings of this report which demonstrates our processes and systems are fit for purpose, ethical and working well.
“Our dedicated Crimes Management Units and Crime Recording Bureau have contributed to improvements in the way we record and investigate crime and the report’s conclusions complement confidence figures which have shown Cleveland consistently at the top of the table.
“By using efficient, effective systems, we are able to plan our work and our priorities, and focus our resources where they are most needed. This will become ever more vital as we begin to feel the effects of public sector cuts.
“It is gratifying to learn that the prudent use of restorative justice – as opposed to automatically sending offenders to prison – meets with the public’s approval. This is another area in which Cleveland Police, along with our partners, is leading the way.
“The review also confirms our absolute belief that the needs of the victim are paramount. The public should be reassured that every crime or incident of ASB will be investigated thoroughly and professionally by Cleveland Police.
“That said, we are not complacent and we accept there are always learning points to be taken from any review. We are constantly seeking to improve the service we provide to our communities.
