Performance and Measurement

Summary

Northamptonshire has been proactive in developing opportunities for collaborative activity, and plays a full part in the East Midlands regional collaboration as well as the Milton Keynes and South Midlands tri-force project and advanced agreements on local priorities with local authorities and key local partners.

The force met the standard required by HMIC in the 2008 inspection of Major Crime, with improved performance on the previous inspections. The Major Crime report found strengths in analytical resources, use of strategic intelligence and case review policies. Citizen Focus and Neighbourhood Policing are embedding successfully, with good practice identified.

Satisfaction with being kept informed of progress has seen significant improvement from 58.1% to 67.8%. Comparative satisfaction of minority ethnic groups has also improved markedly – and there is no longer any significant difference between the satisfaction of minority and white victims of crime. Satisfaction with the overall service provided by the force is still better than its peers. The risk of household crime, although still high, is down from 24.7% to 20.8%. The same applies to life threatening and gun crime, which is down by 13%. The value of cash and confiscation orders increased markedly from £1,133,915 to £3,090,396.

Local performance has seen some good improvements. The effectiveness of Citizen Focus and Neighbourhood Policing in responding to local priorities are evidenced by excellent performance in the local indicator that ‘police understand local issues’, which has improved from 54.4% to 86.0%. There have been improvements in residents’ perceptions of police performance (up from 40.9% to 49.2%). The domestic abuse repeat victimisation rate has increased, as the force made a strategic decision in line with national guidance to focus on high risk rather than repeat incidents.

Areas for improvement from the HMIC 2007 inspection of neighbourhood policing have been addressed, including continued development of partnerships with local authorities and other agencies. A clear Neighbourhood Policing philosophy is now evident, demonstrated in the findings of the 2008 HMIC report.

Protecting Vulnerable People improvements include Public Protection being brought together under one Superintendent, developments of protocols for missing persons in care and private sector care homes, a major review of critical incidents, additional staffing in the Dangerous Persons Management Unit, public protection as a priority in the force’s strategy, and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences set up on both basic command units.

Crime in Northamptonshire has fallen for four years in succession. Particularly significant in 07/08 was a 21% fall in anti-social behaviour. During 07/08, this focused on the establishment of a Protective Services Command, giving increased resilience and effectiveness in delivering these services. The Force is part of a national pilot in workforce modernisation. It has been proactive in establishing innovative partnerships, for example, the Local Area Agreements between central government and local partnerships, setting out local priorities, and in practical delivery through a partnership board.

Key challenges for the future include maintaining reductions in crime levels, and further bridging the gap between Northamptonshire and peers, particularly in relation to serious acquisitive crime. The force also aims to further increase public satisfaction and reduce fear of crime, particularly in relation to anti-social behaviour, and also to further develop the protective services capability, and continue the focus on neighbourhood policing, against a tight financial climate. In addition, the force will be responding to the challenges of the policing green paper in developing citizen focus at a local level.