HM INSPECTORATE OF
CONSTABULARY News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service.
4 February 2009
A review by HM
Inspectorate of Constabulary published today showed that only half
of the 43 forces in England and Wales had sufficiently detailed
plans for improvement in major areas of policing, including
organised crime and the investigation of complex murders. However,
this deficiency in planning does not necessarily reflect the
quality of delivery of these key services on the ground.
"Get Smart: Planning to Protect" reviews seven broad
categories of protective service:
* Serious and organised crime"
* Major crime, such as serial murders
* Critical incidents - single events which significantly impact
on public safety
* Civil contingencies - natural threats or disasters, such as
rail crashes
* Public order
* Roads policing - in this context, covering the use of the roads
by criminals
* Protecting vulnerable persons. There were four sub-categories
under this heading - domestic abuse, missing people, child abuse
and the management of violent and sexual offenders
In 2005, the HMIC's "Closing the Gap" report found
worrying gaps in policing protective services. Four years on, the
current review has shown that some forces in England and Wales
still have serious weaknesses in their planning to close those gaps.
The report recommends focussed intervention in some forces to
bring up their planning and the public account of plans up to
standard, with greater collaboration and consistency across the
police service as a whole.
HM Assistant Inspector of Constabulary Vic Towell commented:
"This review of plans has exposed that there is no common
basis for formulating plans for improvement in the police service
or communicating them to the public. This lack of a common
language and framework means that it is incredibly difficult to
aggregate individual plans up into a national picture. In the
report we have offered a business planning model that we believe
will help forces improve in this regard."
Notes to editors
"Get Smart: Planning to Protect" is published today 4th
February 2009
Media enquiries: 020 7035 5186
Website: http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic