North Yorkshire Police told to make urgent improvements

Inspectors noted the force had made some progress, but outlined a number of areas where further improvement was needed

North Yorkshire Police has been told it must make urgent improvements to help keep people safe and reduce crime.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found there were not enough detectives to meet demand.

Improvements were also needed in the time taken to answer emergency calls, it said.

The force said it was "working at a pace" to address the issues raised.

Inspectors noted the force had made progress in some areas, including working with other organisations to divert young people away from offending and to reduce the vulnerability of people who may become victims of crime.

However, they outlined a number of areas where further improvement was needed.

These included a review of the force's operating model for investigations, and the resources allocated to it, to ensure there were enough trained detectives to meet demand.

The force's use of resources was rated inadequate.

'Absolutely committed'

His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: "I have concerns about the performance of North Yorkshire Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime. In particular, I have serious concerns about its strategic planning and organisational management.

"Senior leaders in the force need to ensure they have effective oversight of its enabling services, such as IT and HR functions. Failures in these areas impact the service the force provides.

"North Yorkshire Police also needs to improve the speed with which it answers and responds to emergency calls. The force is well below the national standard, with only 41.9 percent of 999 calls being answered within 10 seconds," he added.

Responding to the findings, Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: "The report highlights a number of areas that the force delivers well, but also reports on a significant number of areas that require improvement.

"We are implementing an effective improvement plan that I believe will significantly improve our performance across the whole range of HMICFRS metrics and will deliver an improved service to our communities.

"As the safest place in the country, I can assure the communities of North Yorkshire and the City of York that we remain absolutely committed to keeping you safe, and feeling safe."