Performance and Measurement

Summary

Nottinghamshire has a diverse local economy featuring well-known companies in a diverse range of fields and several government bodies, including the Inland Revenue and Driving Standards Agency. There are large black and minority ethnic communities, principally Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afro-Caribbean, mainly within the Nottingham area and a growing Polish community in the county, especially in Nottingham and Mansfield. The force has been very successful in reducing gun crime and tackling organised crime and progressively reducing levels of volume crime.

In 2007, the force launched its ‘Policing for You’ programme, developed in partnership with the Police Authority and embedded in the force’s priorities for 2008-13. The vision is; ‘Policing for you by working in partnership to protect and reassure through a visible and accessible service that is flexible and responsive to community and individual needs’. This puts public confidence and satisfaction at the heart of everything the force does and is evidenced in several key ongoing projects.

The force is working in close collaboration with forces in the East Midlands region, in a partnership drawing much positive comment. One major success has been the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, which investigates serious crimes. The newly appointed Chief Constable has given her full support to the continued development of the “Policing for you vision”, signalling that public confidence will be key.

The force was pleased with the overall findings of the 2008 HMIC inspection of its major crime capability and has significantly invested in this over recent years, but is not complacent regarding its systems and processes.

For the fifth consecutive year, Nottinghamshire saw a significant drop in crime, with 11,651 fewer crimes recorded than in 2006/07, a reduction of 8.5%. Since 2002/03, the force has recorded a 22.6% reduction in total crime, with the force exceeding targets for reducing acquisitive crime and violent crime. The force also recorded its highest ever user satisfaction figures, showing improvement in all areas of customer satisfaction.

The force set a series of local targets with the Police Authority around crime reduction for 2007/08 and met every one, with the exception of common assault, which was narrowly missed. The force has been pursuing a tactic of early intervention in violent crime to prevent violence escalating into more serious offences, contributing to the increase in reports of common assault.

Compared with 2006/07, overall crime has fallen 8.5%, which is in line with the national trend, while Nottinghamshire recorded one of the largest reductions in crime in the East Midlands region. Public confidence is still a critical area and the force is committed to the important ‘Policing for You’ programme.

Despite some notable successes in the last few years, the force is not complacent about its need to improve its service. To this end, public confidence is one of the biggest challenges for the future. As a result, it is embedding its vision in its service provision over the next year. An integral part of this is the delivery of the Demand Management project, aimed at improving the quality of service at the public’s initial contact with the force. The project will also encourage greater partnership working with the Local Government and Criminal Justice partners, to deliver a more holistic approach to solving community problems such as anti social behaviour. In addition, the force is striving to change its culture to recognise and reward good service, and improve its ability to learn from its customers, to become more effective and responsive to their needs.