Wiltshire Police out of ‘special measures’ and targeting ‘remarkable’

WILTSHIRE Police are no longer in ‘special measures’ as significant improvements have been made to the service they provide.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) confirmed today, 21 May, that the force will be removed from the ‘engagement’ phase of its performance monitoring process.

Wiltshire Police was deemed to be in need of special help, along with six other forces, following an inspection in June 2022.

Inspectors described the force as “inadequate” in its ability to respond to the public, protect vulnerable people and strategic planning.

It further described Wiltshire Police as “requiring improvement” in a number of other areas.

Read more: Wiltshire Police special measures blamed on government cuts and ‘impossible’ demands.

Two years later, following a change of leadership by Chief Constable Catherine Roper in February 2023, fundamental changes were made to the way the force operates.

This includes a new policing model that creates dedicated neighborhood teams to increase visibility and engagement, significant improvements in the quality of investigations and increased governance in terms of performance monitoring and demand mapping.

A three-year strategic plan outlining key priorities for Wiltshire Police has also been published.

This program of work has led to an improved service for victims – from shorter response times to 999 and 101 calls, protecting more people by identifying vulnerability as soon as possible, better quality investigations and an improvement in the number of results of justice.

While the decision to remove Engage status from Wiltshire Police is a welcome one, Chief Constable Roper said it would not deter the organization from maintaining a focus on continuous improvement and that the road to the force was rated as “remarkable”.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

She said: “Today’s news is testament to the firm commitment of everyone at Wiltshire Police to improving the services we provide to our communities.

“This is a significant development in our improvement journey, but it does not imply any complacency on our part – we fully recognize that there is still much to improve.

“We know what we need to focus on and have a detailed roadmap to make sure nothing distracts us from driving our improvements.

“However, this represents a substantial moment in our journey towards our aspiration to be an outstanding police force.”

Chief Constable Roper thanked the community and all her colleagues for their support and commitment, adding: “Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me as Chief Constable and the comprehensive improvement plan I have put in place.”

Now that Wiltshire Police has been removed from the ‘engagement’ element of the process, the force will now enter the ‘scanning’ phase of the HMICFRS monitoring process, which involves quarterly performance monitoring to ensure improvements are sustained.