Essex force is good but policing is at ‘breaking point’

ESSEX Police has been judged as ‘good’ in the new PEEL report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The force also gained ‘good’ ratings in crime prevention, vulnerability, investigation and serious and organised crime.

However, nationally, policing is being placed under increasingly significant stress, Inspectors said.

Report author Zoe Billingham found that around a quarter of forces are all too often ‘overwhelmed’ by the demands they face, resulting in backlogs of emergency jobs which are preventing officers from being able to protect the public.

This stress on resources is stopping some forces from being able to adequately keep people safe in some important areas of police work, she added.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has said this aspect of the report should act as a ‘wake up call’ for Government ministers.

Officers across the country were however praised for their considerable efforts in keeping policing standards high.

This latest PEEL report investigated effectiveness in the UK force and focused on the overall question; ‘How effective is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?’

Overall, Durham Constabulary was judged as ‘outstanding’, 30 forces were ‘good’ and 12 were deemed to be in need of improvement.

Police Federation of England and Wales Chair Calum Macleod said the report showed that policing in the UK is at breaking point.

“The report states the service is under ‘significant stress’ and that this stress is so severe in some forces they are at risk of ‘being unable to keep people safe’.

“Let that sink in. The Government’s own inspector has said that some parts of the police service in the country are so stretched that people may be put in danger.

“If this is not a wake-up call I don’t know what is. We cannot allow this situation to deteriorate to such an extent where people are routinely put a risk. That is unthinkable – but shockingly it seems – not unrealistic.”