The police watchdog has “serious concerns” about Wiltshire Police – saying the force is missing opportunities to protect vulnerable and repeat victims of crime.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has found the force “inadequate” in three areas of policing.
Wiltshire Police is one of six forces in England currently placed in special measures – the highest ever number of forces concurrently under investigation.
The others are the Met, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and Cleveland.
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said: “I have serious concerns about Wiltshire Police’s performance, particularly how it responds to the public, protects vulnerable people and makes use of its resources.
“The force is missing opportunities to protect vulnerable and repeat victims of crime. It needs to improve the way it manages victims’ calls, so that all vulnerable people are identified. Some domestic abuse victims have received an unacceptable level of service and have continued to remain at risk.
“Given our findings, we are now monitoring Wiltshire under our Engage process which provides additional scrutiny and support,” she added.
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No parts of Wiltshire Police’s operations were ranked Outstanding, Good or Adequate.
• Preventing crime
• Investigating crime
• Treatment of the public
• Managing offenders
• Developing a positive workplace
Meanwhile, three areas were placed at the lowest ranking, “Inadequate”:
• Responding to the public
• Protecting vulnerable people
• Good use of resources
Read more: Met Police placed under ‘special measures’ over its poor performance
Ms Williams told Sky News there were examples where Wiltshire Police had made failings during in investigations: “It is fair for me to point out, that there is a national shortage of detectives, and Wiltshire Police force is no different.
“But we found too many examples where there was inadequate supervision, or the proper areas of enquiry weren’t all followed, and the knock-on effect of that is that cases aren’t necessarily being prosecuted and offenders may not be brought to justice.”
She added: “More positively, the force has recently developed plans to address violence against women and girls and intends to make progress in how it understands and protects vulnerable people.”
In response to the report, Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: “I recognise this is a significantly concerning report. My responsibility as Chief Constable is to deliver a local policing service that the people of Wiltshire expect, pay for and deserve. I remain resolute in our effort to improve.
“I acknowledge the findings from HMICFRS and accept the recommendations outlined in their report – we take the concerns raised very seriously and we are already taking prompt and comprehensive action to address these.”
Wiltshire Police says it has implemented a number of actions to address areas of concern – including enhanced training for front-line officers and staff and establishing a taskforce to improve their response to crimes.
