In its latest report, HMICFRS found the force to be outstanding in three of the nine areas of inspection.
HMI Roy Wilsher said, “Leicestershire Police’s officers and staff are to be congratulated on their hard work. The force is outstanding in three areas, which demonstrates its high level of performance, but it can improve in other aspects to provide a consistently good service.”
HMICFRS carries out police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspections, which assess the performance of all 43 police forces in England and Wales. The report into Leicestershire Police awarded Outstanding grades to recording data about crime, preventing crime and protecting vulnerable people.
Since HMICFRS carried out its inspection, former Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, Simon Cole, sadly passed away. HMICFRS said that this report is a fitting tribute to his leadership.
In addition to the nine graded judgements, the inspectors also look at how effective a service Leicestershire Police gives to victims of crime.
Mr Wilsher added, “The force empowers its increasingly diverse staff and has a strong, established leadership culture that prioritises identifying and safeguarding the vulnerable.
“Leicestershire has significantly improved its recording of all reported crimes since our last inspection – we found it correctly recorded nearly all sexual offences and was particularly good at recording crimes of rape. Rape is one of the most serious crimes a victim can experience, and it is especially important that crimes are recorded accurately to make sure victims receive the service and support they expect and deserve.”
Proud of achievements
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said, “I am proud of what we have achieved and am delighted that we reached an outstanding level in three areas. This report is good news for our local communities because it shows we do a very good job and that they can have confidence in policing.
“The last two years have been particularly challenging and throughout all of this it is good to see that the Inspectors have acknowledged how well the force has performed.
“This success is the result of a team effort and can be attributed to the hard work of our officers and staff across the entire force. I know our former chief constable Simon Cole would have been equally proud.”
The full report can be found on the HMICFRS website.
