Lancashire Police: 'Ambitious' chief 'proud' as force praised
- Published
Since 2010, the force has delivered over £86m of savings
Lancashire Police's Chief Constable has said he is "proud" of staff who have worked hard in the face of funding cuts after the force was rated good or outstanding across all areas.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, external praised the force for reducing crime and keeping people safe.
But it said the way the crime is investigated needs improvement.
Andy Rhodes admitted the force had not provided the same service as a decade ago but said it would "fix that".
Since 2010, the force has delivered over £86m of savings representing 28% of the total police budget.
Mr Rhodes said his role was about "understanding where the demand is coming from" to "decide where the most serious problems are and try to create policing that can deal with everything from anti-social behaviour to counter-terrorism".
"The report says we've got a really good understanding of that and a good plan, which I think should reassure people," he said.
Chief Constable Andy Rhodes said there were still more improvements to make
HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said he was "particularly pleased" with the force's "ambitious leaders" who have "a detailed understanding of changing demand" within policing.
However, Mr Rhodes acknowledged "people rightly expect a visible presence in their neighbourhoods".
He said: "If you get your garage broken into, you're not getting the same service you used to get 10 years ago and that is not acceptable, but we'll fix that."
He added he was "very proud of the work officers and staff do on a daily basis to continue to keep our county safe".
The report said Lancashire Police was:
Good at effectively reducing crime and keeping people safe
Outstanding at operating efficiently and providing sustainable services to the public; and
Good at how it treats the public and its workforce
But it said the way the force investigates crime needs improvement through training and effective supervision.