Federation to put trust in interim Chief Constable after report findings
The force was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Branch chair, Darren Harris, says the Federation will put its trust in interim Chief Constable, Mark Webster, to begin tackling ‘concerning’ issues, raised in a new report into Suffolk Police.
The force was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) with a police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) report detailing its findings.
In the review, there was praise for the way Suffolk Police has tackled anti-social behaviour to create ‘one of the lowest levels of anti-social behaviour incidents in England’.
It also said the force was doing a good job of educating children, about the dangers of knife crime and that it communicates well with its diverse communities.
But there were also plenty of areas for concern.
The report stated there has been a lack of progress, in how the force managed the varying levels of risk in domestic abuse cases, raised question marks over its safeguarding record and questioned methods of leadership, as well as its management of fraud cases.
In responding to its findings, Darren said the Force was currently in an unusual position, with one Chief Constable retiring and another one coming in to hold the fort, until a long-term appointment can be made.
Mark Webster has come out of retirement, to temporarily lead the force, replacing retiring Chief Constable, Rachel Kearton.
Clear issues
But Darren added that time cannot be wasted on improving problem areas highlighted by the PEEL report, despite the situation.
He said: “The report has shown that there are definitely some clear issues within the Force that need addressing.
“These are concerning for us as a Federation and for our members, who are working long hours, in challenging conditions, to do their best to protect the public.
“Chief Constable Mark Webster is not responsible for the force’s problems that are detailed in the report, because he has only arrived here a short while ago.
“But he has said that he is fully aware of the issues and is committed to do what he can during his time here to act on them. He says he is determined to put the force on a steady footing and hold the fort until a long-term replacement is found.
Trust
“As a Federation, we will support him and trust him to try and improve things while he is here.
“Despite the situation surrounding the role of Chief Constable, what is clear is that actions must be taken sooner rather than later in tackling the areas of concern in the report.
“Suffolk Constabulary owe that to the public and to our members.”
The new Suffolk Chief Constable said the Force welcomed the feedback from HMICFRS.
Mark said: “We are committed to acting on it.
“Inspections provide an important opportunity to identify where we can improve and ultimately deliver a better service to the public.
Improvements
"While there is more work to do in some areas, the report also recognises many strengths across Suffolk Constabulary, including our neighbourhood policing, partnership working, improvements in call handling and our continued focus on innovation.
"I hope this report reassures our communities that we are committed to listening, learning and improving, while continuing to provide a high-quality service for the people of Suffolk."
Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, said: “I would like to thank all officers and staff and all our volunteers, for their continued commitment to keeping us all safe.
“It is important to remember Suffolk is one of the lowest funded forces in the country and, despite that, we are one of the safest, with the second lowest level of recorded crime.”