Thames Valley Police has improved its performance over a demanding 18 months, but there are still areas of concern, the police inspectorate has said.
PEEL 2021/22: Inspection of Thames Valley Police
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services graded Thames Valley Police’s performance across nine areas of policing and found the force was ‘good’ in three areas, ‘adequate’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in two.
HMICFRS said the ‘requires improvement’ areas included how the force responds to the public and the use of resources.
Aspects of Thames Valley Police’s performance
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Roy Wilsher, said: “Thames Valley Police has been through a demanding 18 months. Like all forces, it has been affected by the pandemic. It has dealt with a serious terrorist incident, multiple public protests, and increased levels of homicide."
“Despite these pressures, I am satisfied with some aspects of Thames Valley Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. Yet, there are areas where the force needs to improve."
Proactive approach to the well-being of the workforce
Wilsher added: “We are encouraged to see the efforts it is making to make sure that it is treating people both inside and outside the force fairly. The work it is doing in communities to attract people from ethnic minority backgrounds to join the force is noteworthy and there is a proactive approach to the wellbeing of the workforce."
“But, despite these positive elements, we found that the force is struggling to meet some of the demand in a timely way. It now records more crime than before. Combined with recent changes to the way cases are prepared, this means officers are busier than they were, while some aspects of policing have become more complex. At the same time, the force is bringing through new, inexperienced staff, who require more training and supervision."
Efficient ways of working
Wilsher added: “The force has introduced some notable innovations, looked for more efficient ways of working, and moved additional staff into some areas. However, lack of resource is affecting the timeliness of its response to the public, the investigation of crimes, and the assessment of risk to vulnerable people or by potentially dangerous offenders. The work pressure on some staff is also undermining the steps that the force has taken to improve the well-being of its workforce."
“Thames Valley Police isn’t blind to this, and it was reassuring to see that it had already identified some of the issues we found during our fieldwork. I look forward to seeing the force addressing these areas.”
