Chief Constable Amanda Pearson has welcomed the publication of an inspection report into Dorset Police as a fair and constructive assessment of the Force’s progress.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services published its PEEL report today following an inspection last year.
The report’s gradings found Dorset Police to be ‘good’ in two areas, ‘adequate’ in four and ‘requiring improvement’ in three.
Amanda Pearson, pictured, said: “This report is a fair and constructive assessment of the effective and impactful improvements the Force continues to make.
“We have invested in reducing call times, strengthening investigations and making sure our service works for everyone in Dorset.
“I am pleased the report identifies those priorities and the work we are doing whilst also pointing out where we can improve.
“I know that Dorset Police officers, staff and volunteers are fully committed to making Dorset a safe county for everyone.
“This inspection report is an endorsement that the Force is on the right path with a focus on the right things to improve.”
The Inspectorate highlighted the effectiveness of Dorset Police’s Safeguarding Hubs to keep vulnerable people safe, how the Force tackles anti-social behaviour, manages more frequent crime types and its strategic and financial planning.
It also noted where the Force is making sustained improvements in call handling and response times, investigations and addressing disproportionality in the use of police powers.
David Sidwick, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “This report offers a fair reflection of the improvements the Force continue to make, while recognising some of the progress already achieved.
“It is important to make clear that since the time of the inspection and this report being published, improvements have continued in many areas rendering some of the data from the inspection period obsolete.
“Some of the Inspector’s findings mirror areas where I have also challenged the Force to improve, for example on call times.
“I am pleased that contact officers are now answering more than 94 per cent of 999 calls within 10 seconds, on top of a 20 per cent increase in online crime reports, with 101 calls being answered in just over a minute.
“I know the Force remains rightly focused on further improving this vital service to the public and I will continue to scrutinise this work very closely.
“I want to make clear that I take each area of improvement seriously and will continue to hold the Chief Constable and Force to account on the public’s behalf to ensure these priorities are robustly gripped and positive changes are seen and felt by the public wherever possible.”