'Serious' concerns over how police respond to the public

An inspection report was carried out by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire & Rescue Services

An inspection report has raised “serious concerns” over how a police force responds to the public.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Gloucestershire Police’s performance across nine areas of policing.

Inspectors said the force made several improvements since it was last inspected, particularly in how it records crime - which was rated “outstanding”.

The force acknowledged that there is “still work to be done” but said recent figures which were not featured in the report should “reassure” people.

The force acknowledged that there is "still work to be done"

The report recorded strengths in staff training, the force’s engagement with the public, stop and search procedures and appropriate use of force.

It also found that emergency 999 call response times are down to an average of three to four seconds, which is around half the time it took in March 2023.

The majority of 101 calls are also answered in under two minutes, inspectors said.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, said: “I have concerns about the performance of Gloucestershire Constabulary in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service.

"In particular, I have serious concerns about how it responds to the public.

“Since our last inspection, the constabulary has made significant efforts to improve in the areas we highlighted as causes of concern or areas of improvement, which I recognise.

"But, despite these improvements, more is required to place the constabulary in a position where it is consistently providing a good standard of service to its local communities.

“I look forward to seeing how the constabulary continues to work to improve its performance, which I will be closely monitoring.”

'Continue to improve'

A spokesperson from Gloucestershire Police said: “We are pleased that the HMICFRS has recognised the improvements we have made, particularly in crime recording, where we received an outstanding grading which means that we are now amongst the best forces in the country."

The force said it is training 10 new call handlers in a bid to improve response times.

It also said it has a clear plan of targets and staff are “confident” that the results will continue to improve.

Since the report, Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Chris Nelson says more investment in the police force control room has led to a "much improved service to the public."

He added: “as a result, the Constabulary’s call handlers have been answering 999 calls well within the 10 second national target for many months.

The response time on the non-emergency 101 line has also been falling consistently, with the average wait now well under 2 minutes."