Police 'crisis': Find out how your force is performing

A "national crisis" in the shortage of police officers has been declared for the first time, leaving the public at "unacceptable risk".

The police watchdog warned suspected murderers and rapists were among almost 46,000 wanted suspects as it revealed British policing is in a "potentially perilous" state.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said vulnerable victims are being let down, criminal cases shelved and suspects left untracked as police fail to carry out basic functions.

Among the evidence they uncovered were emergency calls being downgraded in order to justify a slower response.

There is a major shortage of police officers in the UK. Credit: PA

The watchdog evaluated forces in four areas:

  • how effective is the force at preventing crime, anti-social behaviour?

  • how effective is the force at investigating crime and managing offenders?

  • how effective is the force at protecting vulnerable people and supporting victims?

  • how effective is the force at tackling serious and organised crime?

HMIC graded forces for their overall effectiveness as follows:

Outstanding

  • Durham

Good

  • Avon & Somerset

  • Cambridgeshire

  • Cheshire

  • City of London

  • Cleveland

  • Cumbria

  • Derbyshire

  • Dorset

  • Essex

  • Greater Manchester

  • Gwent

  • Kent

  • Lancashire

  • Lincolnshire

  • Merseyside

  • Norfolk

  • North Wales

  • North Yorkshire

  • Northumbria

  • South Wales

  • Suffolk

  • Surrey

  • Thames Valley

  • Warwickshire

  • West Mercia

  • West Midlands

  • West Yorkshire

  • Wiltshire

Requires Improvement

  • Devon & Cornwall

  • Dyfed-Powys

  • Gloucestershire

  • Hampshire

  • Hertfordshire

  • Humberside

  • Leicestershire

  • Met Police

  • Northamptonshire

  • Nottinghamshire

  • South Yorkshire

  • Staffordshire

  • Sussex

Inadequate

  • Bedfordshire