D&C Police praised for fairness by HMIC
Devon and Cornwall Police has been rated ‘Good’ in a new report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary looking at the legitimacy of the Force.
HMIC judged the culture of the Force and how it reflected engagement with Devon and Cornwall’s communities while also complying with legislation around areas such as taser use and stop and search powers.
The HMIC graded the Force as ‘Good’ across all areas meaning it believes the Force has the consent of the public while staff consistently behave fairly, ethically and within the law. Gaining the trust and co-operation of the public is also seen as a critical factor by the report.
HMIC assessors interviewed senior leaders from the Force, surveyed Devon and Cornwall’s public and carried out unannounced visits to police stations during the compilation of the report.
Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: “To both our staff and the communities which we police and serve, this report shows Devon and Cornwall is doing everything possible to develop a fair and ethical culture.
“Indeed the British Crime Survey has shown we are rated number one nationally in terms of having confidence from our local communities that Devon and Cornwall Police are doing a good job.
“We have invested in and continue to pay great attention to how officers and staff can be better engaged, effectively communicated with and properly supported in their day to day work.
“Whether this be giving a clear message to staff around the Force’s mission, having an affective wellbeing programme or simply listening to staff as best we can, we believe this investment pays dividends when our officers and staff are engaging with the public.
“We want our staff to be as positive as possible when they meet our communities in whatever role they are carrying out, hopefully this report shows we are very much going in the right direction in terms of ensuring public respect and consent is top of our agenda.”
Mr Sawyer added: “If we do not have this legitimacy, then policing with consent – something our Force considers to be a critical cornerstone of public engagement – becomes very difficult.
“While not every member of the public will want to have contact with their local police, we hope that anyone encountering our officers and staff can say they have been dealt with fairly, professionally and ethically on every occasion.
“There are areas such as stop and search which require some work nationally and compliance locally. I’m confident that in Devon and Cornwall this has been done since the HMIC inspection and is progressing.”
Today’s report is part of the HMIC’s PEEL, (Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy), inspection programme.
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