Bedfordshire Police given 'good' rating - three years after being rated UK's 'worst force'
WATCH: ITV Anglia's Liz Summers reports on Bedfordshire's report.
Bedfordshire Police has been commended for improvements it's made to reducing crime and keeping people safe by Her Majesty's Inspectorate - three years after it was rated the worst force in the country.
Bedfordshire was the only force in England to be rated "inadequate" by inspectors back in 2017.
However, three years on, it's now been rated as "good" - with inspectors praising the strides made in how the force investigates crime and protects vulnerable people.
The manner in which the force records crime was also singled out for praise, but inspectors did stress that this is an area that could still be improved.
"I am very pleased with Bedfordshire Police’s performance in keeping people safe and reducing crime. In particular, I note the improvements the force has made since 2017 in its efficiency and effectiveness," Matt Parr from HM Inspector of Constabulary said.
"Since our last inspection, the force has improved how it prevents and investigates crime. It has also developed better ways to make sure that it identifies and protects vulnerable people. The force has improved some of its crime recording processes but still has more work to do.
"Overall, I commend Bedfordshire Police for the progress it has made over the past year, which provides a good foundation for continuing improvement in the year ahead."
Following the "inadequate" rating in 2017, the force blamed a lack of funding for its struggles, with the former Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, saying at the time: "I disagree with the inadequate grade. The only way you can associate the word inadequate with this force is our funding and the number of resources we've got."
Bedfordshire Police's struggles
2015 - Rated as "requires improvement"
2017 - Rated as "inadequate", the only force in the country to be given the rating
2018 - Upgraded to "requires improvement"
2020 - Rated as "good" by inspectors
Inspectors are now content that the force is heading in the right direction though - a view which is shared by the force's new Chief Constable Garry Forsyth.
“This is fabulous news and is testament to all of the hard work of our officers and staff. The report describes Bedfordshire Police as ‘an ambitious force with a positive culture’ and I’m delighted that it particularly praised our work around identifying and helping vulnerable people – recognising our dedication to protecting people and keeping them safe," he said.
“We continue to strive for excellence and will be going through the report to identify any areas which could be developed further to improve the service to our communities.”