Derbyshire Constabulary given 'good' report

A report from Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) has rated Derbyshire as 'good' in keeping people safe and in reducing crime.
Stock picture.Stock picture.
Stock picture.

The latest report assessed the force's effectiveness in its specialist capabilities and how it protects vulnerable people.

The report states: "Derbyshire Constabulary is good at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

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"It consistently provides a good service to its communities, and continues to have an effective approach towards protecting vulnerable people and supporting victims.

"The force has a comprehensive understanding of the nature and scale of vulnerability in the community, helped by its strong working relationships with public-sector partner organisations, including local councils and charities.

"Frontline officers and staff, including those in the control room, are confident in their ability to recognise the signs that someone may be vulnerable and to identify appropriate safeguarding measures."

Deputy Chief Constable Gary Knighton said: "Tackling criminality and protecting the vulnerable are our two core objectives as a force.

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"This HMIC report is a strong endorsement of our ability to do that effectively."

The report continued: "The force has improved the way in which it handles calls about domestic abuse. Officers in general conduct effective risk assessments at domestic abuse incidents, and an improvement in the quality of information that officers record underpins an effective referral process.

"Two multi-agency safeguarding hubs operate in Derbyshire, where the force works alongside partner organisations to meet the needs of vulnerable adults and children.

"In addition, specialist officers and staff in two vulnerability units are effective in arranging support for vulnerable people and organising long-term safeguarding measures.

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"The force is committed to providing the best possible service to people with mental health conditions.

"Call handlers are trained to recognise mental health problems and are skilled in providing the best response to callers.

"Close co-operation takes place with mental health practitioners and expert advice is available for frontline officers while dealing with incidents.

"Derbyshire Constabulary has the necessary arrangements in place to fulfil its national policing responsibilities and to respond in the first instance to an attack that requires an armed response. It has plans to test the effectiveness of this capability regularly."

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Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Hardyal Dhindsa, added: "This is a hugely reassuring report. It verifies that Derbyshire remains a consistently high-performing police force, with lower crime rates than elsewhere in England and Wales.

"I am particularly pleased with the 'outstanding' assessment in relation to our work to tackle serious and organised crime.

"Of all the positive comments within this report, one stands out: 'It (the force) consistently provides a good service to its communities, and continues to have an effective approach towards protecting vulnerable people and supporting victims'. That is exactly what we set out to do.

"It is good to see the constabulary's hard work acknowledged and I would like to personally, on behalf of all our communities, thank all the officers and staff who have worked so hard to achieve this 'good' grade."