Information

Northamptonshire PEEL Assessment 2023–2025

In 2023–2025, we carried out a PEEL inspection of Northamptonshire Police. PEEL stands for police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy.

We inspected how well the force performed in several areas of policing. Most of these areas were then graded as outstanding, good, adequate, requires improvement or inadequate.

On 8 August 2024, the grade for ‘Responding to the public’ was changed from ‘adequate’ to ‘requires improvement’. The change was made because the original data supplied to HMICFRS by Northamptonshire Police for this question was incorrect.

A copy of the report can be downloaded here

PFCC Response

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire has received the most recent HMICFRS PEEL inspection report, relating to Northamptonshire Police.

He welcomes the fact that the report recognises the significant journey of improvement that the Force has been traveling on. Whilst accepting of the fact that there are further improvements and developments that can be made, he sees it as important that this journey is recognised by HMICFRS and local people.
In several respects the report provides confirmation of several of the things that he felt, as a result of his own internal assurance and accountability board processes.

The Commissioner was pleased that the Inspectorate identified outstanding performance in relation to the activities of the Force when recording data about crime. This is a key foundation for the legitimacy of the Police, with so much falling from it, that it is important that this has been recognised, alongside another area of legitimacy, which is the improvements made in the way it communicates with communities.

The Commissioner also welcomed the findings in relation to the ability of the Force to keep people safe, reducing crime and the provision of an effective service to victims. These have all been areas of focus for the Commissioner and his team and are core key deliverables for any police service. He is assured that progress has been made in these areas in recent years.

The Commissioner notes the observations made by the Inspectorate about the investigation of crime. He shares this observation and while he is cognisant that improvements have been made, especially relating to positive outcome rates he recognises that further improvements are required. The Commissioner had already agreed some additional investments to support this as a part of the budget setting process for 2024/2025.

The Commissioner fully accepts the findings of this report and will continue to hold he Chief Constable to account via his formal and informal assurance processes to maintain and develop those areas that have improved and are noted as successes and to improve on those where this is required