A report published today (Thursday 11th February) by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary focuses on how 'legitimate' a police force is at keeping people safe and reducing crime.
The Legitimacy inspection examined all 43 forces in England and Wales on whether they operate fairly, ethically and within the law, how they engage with their communities and their use of stop and search and tasers. Thirty seven police forces were graded as 'good', and one police force, Kent Police, achieved an 'outstanding' grade. Additionally there were five police forces that were graded as 'requires improvement', none were 'inadequate'.
Cheshire Constabulary was rated as 'good' overall, 'outstanding' for one area (engagement), 'good' for one area (wellbeing) but 'requires improvement' for one area (stop and search.).
To reach a judgement on each force's legitimacy HMIC examined three key areas:
• To what extent does practice and behaviour reinforce the wellbeing of staff and an ethical culture?
• How well does the force understand, engage with and treat fairly the people it serves to maintain and improve its legitimacy?
• To what extent are decisions taken on the use of stop and search and Taser fair and appropriate?
In the overall judgement of Cheshire Police the report stated "The chief constable and the chief officer team actively promoted the values of the constabulary and staff we spoke to were positive about the culture in Cheshire. We found that police officers and staff in Cheshire Constabulary are diligent and committed in their use of a comprehensive range of methods to engage with the people they serve, to discover their needs and then report to them the results they achieved.
"However, too many of the stop and search records we examined did not contain sufficient reasonable grounds for conducting the search, and it was clear that Cheshire is not complying with the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme. Taser is used fairly and appropriately."
The report continues "In particular, we found no evidence to suggest that the constabulary was undertaking analysis to understand why black, Asian and minority ethnic people were disproportionately affected by stop and search in Cheshire."
Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Stephen Otter, who led the inspection, said: "The majority of police forces demonstrate fair and ethical behaviour; the public expect no less. However, all the good work that we've seen forces are doing to engage with their local communities risks being undermined if they continue to fail to get stop and search right.
"This is the third time we've looked at stop and search in the last three years and although there is some improvement, it's not happening fast enough. This is inexcusable given that it is one of the principal indicators of police legitimacy.
"In this inspection, we found that police use of stop and search was declining: police officers need to be given the confidence to use this policing tactic correctly. Additionally, too many forces are still not recording the reasonable grounds for stopping a person – in one force, almost two thirds of the records we reviewed did not record this detail.
"I am frustrated by the apparent lack of commitment by chief constables to ensuring stop and search is used properly and legitimately, and I am looking for police leaders to take action to address this within the next three months."
Cheshire Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: "We are rightly proud of the service we deliver to the public here in Cheshire – and understanding and interacting with local communities is the bread and butter of everyday policing. This independent assessment has rated Cheshire as 'outstanding' in this particular area – this is great news for the force and reflects the hard work and achievements of every officer and member of staff.
"The report is very positive about our efforts to understand the local community, the comprehensive range of methods we use to interact with local people to discover their needs, and how we report back on what has been achieved in the local area.
"HMIC has also praised the force for being well directed through its 'We're here' commitments, which clearly set out the service the public can expect, and the new policing structure, which was introduced last year and is designed to meet these priorities. This once again reinforces the fact that we may be a relatively small force but we are big on delivering our commitments to the public."
Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire John Dwyer said: "I welcome the report published by the HMIC today. Legitimacy is a key principle of policing and it is only right that this independent review scrutinises this. Cheshire has been rated as 'good' overall but in particular it has been rated 'outstanding' around its engagement with local communities to maintain and improve its legitimacy.
"Engagement is an area that I have championed as Commissioner, so I am very proud of the Constabulary's success in this area. Officers and staff need to ensure they understand the people that they serve, identify their needs, listen to their concerns and feedback on what they have achieved. Only by doing this can Cheshire be the safer, more prosperous county that is hostile to criminals."
The report states that the Code of Ethics is fully embedded within the force and that officers and staff are empowered and encouraged to raise concerns and challenge issues of perceived unfairness. The wellbeing of officers and staff is a top priority in Cheshire and the force is committed to investing in training to improve and extend their skills.
It also highlights that complaints and misconduct are dealt with fairly and appropriately, that the force's recruitment and promotion selection processes are fair, transparent and free from bias, and that Cheshire is committed to recruiting volunteers and ensuring they have meaningful opportunities to improve policing services.
HMIC found that the force has effective processes to select and train officers in the use of Taser and has robust procedures in place to ensure it is used fairly and appropriately.
Mr Dwyer added: "The review also highlights the fact that the wellbeing of officers and staff is a priority – Cheshire is a 'caring constabulary' and this is an important area of focus for the force.
"HMIC identified one area in its review for Cheshire that requires improvement regarding the use of stop and search and it is my job as Commissioner to hold the Chief Constable to account for this. The public can be reassured that the force has already improved its position since the inspection and I will continue to monitor progress."
The review is part of the annual PEEL inspections (into Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy) by the HMIC.
In October, Cheshire Constabulary was one of only a handful of police forces across the country to be rated 'outstanding' for efficiency. In December, Cheshire Constabulary was rated 'good' at protecting those who are vulnerable from harm and supporting victims.
Full details of the legitimacy inspection can be seen on the HMIC website.
Photo: (l-r) Chief Constable Simon Byrne and Police & Crime Commissioner John Dwyer.
