Nottinghamshire Police ‘requires improvement’ according to latest inspection

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary asked: ‘How efficient is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?’

The findings concluded the force is ‘good’ at using its resources to meet demand and has shown good planning for the short and long term.

However improvements are required to its workforce model to ensure that it is sustainable and affordable.

Nottinghamshire Police faces an 18 per cent reduction in police numbers from March this year until March 2018. The average reduction across England Wales is only six per cent.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said: “HMIC found that Nottinghamshire Police is well prepared to face its future financial challenges and we have judged the force as good.

“The force has balanced the budget and has a good track record of achieving savings with plans to deliver most of its anticipated savings through 2017/18.

“It has a good understanding of the demand on its services and the force is introducing a new way of organising itself, its operating model, to ensure that it has the right staff and officers with the appropriate skills available to assist the public when needed.”

HMIC’s ‘efficiency programme’ assessed and graded all 43 forces in England and Wales on how they maximise the outcomes from their available resources.

Eight forces received a ‘requires improvement’ grade, including South Yorkshire Police and Lincolnshire.

Deputy Chief Constable Sue Fish said: “Given the cuts that police forces are being required to make, most if not all, have had to put a freeze on officer recruitment for the foreseeable future.

“We clearly know the projected number of officers retiring from the force over the next three years, which would indeed appear to be higher than the national average.

“Our planning process over the past three years has accounted for this by realigning our services and processes, increasing our intake of special officers and making the best use of collaboration with the other East Midlands forces.

“We will recruit as soon as we are able, pending the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review.”