For the first time, every police force in England and Wales has been assigned a performance level by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The new Policing Performance System aims to improve policing and increase public confidence by identifying issues earlier and providing targeted support.
Performance Levels and How They Work
The performance levels range from Level One, the default level indicating no intervention needed, to Level Four, which places forces in special measures due to significant performance issues. Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary have both been awarded Level One, meaning no action is required.
Under the new system, forces are held accountable to the Home Secretary for performance. If concerns arise—such as poor response times or inadequate victim service—the Home Secretary, through the College of Policing, can send experts to assist. Forces also face new targets for neighbourhood policing, 999 response times, and incident response times.
Inspectorate and Ministerial Statements
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer OBE QPM said: "This strengthened system-wide approach will support all police forces in England and Wales. By using a range of data, evidence and insight to identify concerns earlier, the Policing Performance System will provide the correct level of support at the right time."
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones added: "For too long, failings in policing have been identified too late, allowing poor performance to go unchecked. Our new system will catch problems earlier, ensuring forces are challenged, supported and held accountable for improving."
College of Policing's Role
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO, said: "This is a groundbreaking new approach for policing so that the public can see a consistency of performance regardless of where they live. Where required, a turnaround team from the College will go into forces and work with them to identify the causes for performance issues and create plans to deliver sustained improvement."
Durham Constabulary's Response
Durham Constabulary's Chief Constable Rachel Bacon expressed delight at the Level One rating, attributing it to the hard work of officers and staff. She noted that two years ago, she set tough goals to pursue criminals, prevent crime, protect vulnerable people, and provide first-class service to victims. "Continuous improvement is never easy, particularly when set against a challenging backdrop of resources, but this positive rating is further evidence that we are firmly heading in the right direction," she said.
Bacon highlighted recent investments in neighbourhood policing, call handling, professional standards, and digital technology, adding: "Our challenge now is to maintain this momentum, so members of the public continue to feel that improvement into the future."
