Inspectors call for Yorkshire's four police forces to work more closely together
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has examined the work of Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police
Last updated 18th Dec 2025
A new inspection has found that police forces across Yorkshire and the Humber need to work more closely together to tackle serious and organised crime.
The West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside and North Yorkshire forces have been reviewed by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Inspectors say there are weaknesses in how police plan and record their work against organised crime.
They say all four forces recorded high levels of enforcement activity - that's chasing and prosecuting offenders.
But warn this may be masking other important work, such as preventing crime and protecting vulnerable people.
Inspectors say some improvements are already underway but warn more coordination is needed.
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Ramona Senior, temporary head of the YHROCU said:
“Serious and organised crime continues to evolve with relentless complexity and technological sophistication.
“That’s why an effective response requires commitment and close collaboration between local forces and ROCUs so that we can ensure we continually adapt and strengthen our approach to keeping our communities safe.
“Our teams work tirelessly, in partnership, to protect the most vulnerable and bring offenders to justice.
“I am immensely proud that the report’s findings recognise the dedication, professionalism, and innovation demonstrated by our officers and staff in keeping the public safe.”
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Heather Whoriskey, chief officer lead for the YHROCU said:
“I am pleased that HMICFRS has graded the Yorkshire & Humber ROCU as good.
“This positive outcome reflects the professionalism, commitment, and hard work of our officers and staff, and reassurance to the communities we serve.
“We will continue to focus on continuous improvement and on tackling the threat from serious and organised crime across the region.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Naughton, Head of North Yorkshire Police’s protective Services said:
“We welcome the findings of this inspection and the recognition of the progress we have made.
“Tackling serious and organised crime is a priority for North Yorkshire Police, and we will continue to build on these recommendations to further enhance our collective response.
“Working with partners, we will continue to disrupt criminal networks, protect vulnerable people, and keep our communities safe.”
West Yorkshire Police's Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jones said:
“I welcome the inspectorate’s findings. Programme Precision is about partnership working to tackle the threat of serious and organised crime.
“By working closely with our local authority partners, third sector and our communities, we target the criminals and the criminal networks that pose the biggest threat to those communities and ensure that West Yorkshire is a safer place for everyone.”
West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE, said:
“I am pleased to see that West Yorkshire Police has been rated ‘outstanding’ for its work tackling serious organised crime.
“These criminals blight communities and destroy lives, so it’s vital we work in partnership to address this issue.
“The force’s specialist teams, innovative approaches, and initiatives like Clear, Hold, Build are making a real difference in making West Yorkshire a safer, fairer place for all and it is good to see those efforts recognised.”
Detective Superintendent Marie Bulmer, Head of Serious and Organised Crime at West Yorkshire Police, said:
“Our teams work tirelessly to dismantle organised crime networks and protect vulnerable people.
“Tackling serious and organised crime is complex and requires collaboration, innovation, and persistence.
“I’m proud of the dedication shown by our officers and staff every day, and am pleased that our determination, innovation and commitment to dealing with organised crime wherever it exists has been reflected by this inspection.”
Humberside Police Assistant Chief Constable Andy Walker praised the hard work of officers and staff across the force.
He said: “We understand the significant impact that serious organised crime, including county lines and drug related offences, can have on communities and that is why we are determined to show that there is no place for it in our area.
“This grading is a testament to the work carried out by teams across the force every day, and I am really proud of what they achieve.
“Together with partner agencies, last year we launched Operation Kinetic as part of our continued efforts to disrupt and dismantle this type of criminality in Humberside. This has led to the creation of more dedicated teams focused on tackling organised crime, including a new team specifically for rural crime.
“The report recognises that the force works well with partners to tackle serious organised crime in communities by sharing information and intelligence with local partners. It also acknowledges the implementation of the Clear, Hold, Build initiative to tackle organised crime and county lines offences in key areas across the force, as well as the effective use of the My Community Alert system to keep communities informed and updated on the work taking place.
“As part of the inspection, the report highlighted that our cyber and digital media investigation teams have worked closely with schools, colleges, and local businesses to raise awareness of the threat of serious and organised crime by providing advice and guidance on cyber security. As well as this, the report references the steps we have taken in improving frontline teams’ knowledge of serious and organised crime to ensure officers understand the local issues being raised in communities.
“We recognise that there is still much more work to be done in this area, and we will continue to maintain a relentless focus on clamping down on organised crime.
“This work relies heavily on intelligence we receive from our communities - your information is invaluable as it allows us to build a bigger picture and proactively target offenders.
“If you have any information relating to drug dealing or organised crime in your area, please report it to us either via 101 or through our website.”
South Yorkshire Police have been approached for a response.