Key failings found during inspection of 'inadequate' Gloucestershire Police

Gloucestershire Police has been graded ‘inadequate’ by inspectors after failings were found in the way it supports vulnerable people and investigates crime.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the force was failing in five out of 10 key performance indicators.

This includes how it safeguards vulnerable victims, records crime data and spends money.

The report found in the year ending September 30, 2020, Gloucestershire Police flagged repeat callers in 412 incidents - equivalent to less than three in every 1,000 incidents.

The average across the 26 forces in England and Wales is 71 in every 1,000 incidents, HMICFRS said.

It said it is likely Gloucestershire Police is not identifying repeat victims and is potentially leaving vulnerable individuals at risk.

HMICFRS also said the force is failing to record crimes as domestic abuse, behavioural crimes and offences linked to antisocial behaviour - meaning victims were not getting appropriate service.

Concerns were also raised about the force’s spending, with a projected shortfall of £1.4million for 2021-22 - a figure that is projected to hit £10million by 2025.

But the report did say the force was delivering a good performance when it came to preventing crime and disrupting serious organised crime.

It also suggested the force had robust systems in place to ensure fair treatment of the public.

Chief Constable responds to the report

Rod Hansen, Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Police, said: "There are lots of examples of very good and innovative practice identified in this report but I do recognise there is much work still to be done to address the concerns the inspectorate has.

"What I would say is that I think this only represents a partial picture of the work we do to keep people safe from harm and that we were inspected during the biggest emergency this country has seen since the Second World War.

"We had already made progress in areas like crime recording accuracy, but this was hampered by the pandemic - at times our workforce was severely reduced in capacity, most training had to be cancelled and many staff members had to change roles and often do things very differently.

"The landscape of policing changed dramatically and so our plans had to adapt as well."

Mr Hansen said Gloucestershire Police was now undergoing a massive recruitment drive, including for an additional eight detectives for its rape and serious sexual offences team, and was planning major investment in its IT systems.