Watchdog finds police force has made improvements

West Mercia Police has improved the way it carries out investigations, the police watchdog has found.

But His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said it still needs to improve the way it responds to the public and protects vulnerable people.

It also found the force needed to improve its leadership and become a more positive place to work.

The report's gradings found West Mercia Police to be 'good' in one area, 'adequate' in four and 'requiring improvement' in four, and Chief Constable Richard Cooper said he was "determined" to make further improvements.

A year ago, the same watchdog rated the force "inadequate" for its approach to serious and organised crime.

Since then, the inspectorate has changed the way it rates police forces and said direct comparisons could not be drawn with previous reports.

It said: "This is because we have increased our focus on making sure forces are achieving appropriate outcomes for the public, and in some cases we have changed the aspects of policing we inspect."

However, the report made reference to the previous report and said the force had made "significant efforts" to improve its investigative standards, although it still had work to do on the support given to victims.

The report author Andy Cooke said he was "pleased to see the force has continued to prioritise the prevention of crime" and was good at recording crime data.

He said West Mercia Police had improved the way it managed offenders and investigated child sex abuse images well.

However, he said the force needed to get better at managing the risks posed by registered sex offenders.

Mr Cooke also said the force was not answering emergency calls as quickly as it should and wasn't attending calls in the required time.

Its work to support vulnerable people could also be improved, with "significant backlogs in risk assessments".

Finally, he noted this was "set against a very challenging financial position" and that he would be "closely monitoring" West Mercia's progress.

Mr Cooper said: "The inspection highlights both the progress we've made and the challenges we are addressing head on."

He also accepted "the results are not where we want to be, and I am clear that they must and will improve".

The chief constable said there had been "meaningful progress in several key areas", and highlighted a number of areas of improvement.

They included identifying vulnerable callers, also noting that 92% of emergency calls were answered within 10 seconds and exceeding the national target.

The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion, said "Action is already taking place to address concerns and it's my expectation that this progress continues at pace."

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