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His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services reports 2022 - 23

Background

From May 2018, HMICFRS changed the way in which they inspect forces, This has evolved into an intelligence-led continual assessment model, moving away from reliance on a single annual PEEL inspection and allowing for the greater use of the breadth of evidence HMICFRS collect throughout the year.

HMICFRS has now expanded its previous four-tier system of judgments to five tiers to “state more precisely where we consider improvement is needed and highlight more effectively the best ways of doing things.”

However, these changes mean that it isn’t possible to make direct comparisons between the grades awarded in the latest round of PEEL inspections with those from previous years. A reduction in grade, particularly from good to adequate, doesn’t necessarily mean that there has been a reduction in performance.

PEEL Report

The latest PEEL report on Lincolnshire Police for the year 2021/22 graded Lincolnshire Police in nine areas:

  • Preventing crime – adequate. Treatment of the public – adequate
  • Protecting vulnerable people – adequate
  • Developing a positive workplace – adequate
  • Investigating crime – requires improvement
  • Recording data about crime - requires improvement
  • Responding to the public - requires improvement
  • Managing offenders - requires improvement
  • Good use of resources - requires improvement

Overall, the inspector concluded: “I acknowledge that the force is on a journey, having recently exited a ten-year contract with a private provider. It is also undertaking significant programmes of changes across the organisation, which are designed to improve service for the public.

“Historically, Lincolnshire Police has been one of the lowest- funded forces in England and Wales, and this is still the case. The report should be read in this context.”

Inspection of Lincolnshire Police custody facilities

The last inspection of custody facilities was carried out in 2015. In the latest report inspectors found that, of the 43 recommendations made in 2015. In the latest report inspectors found that, of the 43 recommendations made in 2015, 32 have fully or partially been achieved.

Inspectors made two further recommendations for improvements in managing detainee risks and oversight of use of force in custody.

Serious and Organised Crime

As part of the PEEL 2021/22 inspections, HMICFRS inspected how well police forces tackle Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). This was a new approach  to inspecting this aspect of policing for 2022 , HMICFRS inspected ten regions, as well as the nine regional  organised crime units (ROCUs) throughout England and Wales,  and  43 police forces. This included Lincs police and our regional ROCU. Their aim, to establish how well forces and ROCUs work together to tackle SOC.

Lincolnshire Police achieved an individual grading of Requires Improvement for SOC with four 'areas for improvement' identified. They were:

  • The force needs to increase its resource and capability to effectively analyse the threat from serious and organised crime (SOC)
  • The force should update the serious and organised crime (SOC) local profile to help it, and its partners, to better understand the SOC threat and the approach needed
  • The force should ensure  that the lead responsible officer (LRO) role is delegated to a wider group of officers with the time and expertise to do it effectively
  • The force should improve how it records serious and organised crime (SOC) threats and disruptions on the national database

The regional EMSOU received an "Inadequate" grading