Hampshire Constabulary makes “very encouraging” improvements in how it records crime

7 Mar 2019 01:51 PM

Hampshire Constabulary has made “a real and concerted effort” to improve its approach to recording crime, according to a report released yesterday by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

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Hampshire Constabulary: Crime Data Integrity inspection 2018

The force has successfully implemented almost all the recommendations made in a previous inspection in 2014, with the result that it now records over 91% of all reported crime. This represents a substantial improvement in crime recording standards since 2014.

Specific improvements have included:

• Increasing the number of crimes recorded at first point of contact;
• Establishing a crime and incident management unit;
• Delivering enhanced training and supervision procedures; and
• Implementing a national action plan.

The inspection also found that the force’s senior leadership effectively communicates the need for ethical crime recording. At all levels, officers are aware of the link between crime recording and effective support to victims.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoë Billingham yesterday said:

“I am very pleased to report that Hampshire Constabulary has managed to achieve substantial improvement to its crime recording arrangements. All officers and staff are to be congratulated. Our inspection found that there is a real commitment, at all levels, to record crime correctly.

“We found that senior leaders are keen to continue making further improvements and have a very clear commitment to get crime recording right. The chief constable and her team have been working hard to effect positive change across the entire organisation.

“It is important to recognise though that issues remain. The report highlights that around 15,000 crimes still go unrecorded each year.

“Our report lists a few areas for improvement and I am confident that the force will address these over the coming months. It is really good to see how hard the force has worked to ensure that crime is recorded far more accurately now, and the force is to be commended for these efforts.”

HMICFRS will continue to monitor Hampshire Constabulary’s progress. Subsequent, unannounced inspections may be conducted at any time.

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Hampshire Constabulary: Crime Data Integrity inspection 2018

Notes to editors

1. HMICFRS is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing and fire and rescue services in the public interest. It assesses and reports on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and fire and rescue services.
2. HMICFRS inspects all 43 police forces in England and Wales together with other major policing and law enforcement bodies. It also inspects all 45 fire and rescue services in England.
3. HMICFRS is unable to make direct comparisons with the 2014 inspection due to a change in the methodology used. In particular, the 2014 inspection was a dip-sample of records in each force which contributed to a statistically robust rate for crime-recording accuracy for England and Wales, whereas this inspection is working to a statistically robust standard within each force.
4. Further information on how Hampshire Constabulary is performing can be found on the HMICFRS online assessment tool.
5. For further information, HMICFRS’s press office can be contacted during office hours from 09:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday on 020 3513 0600.
6. HMICFRS’s out-of-hours press office line for urgent media enquiries is 07836 217729.