Nottinghamshire Police put in special measures by watchdog

Nottinghamshire Police has been put in special measures and told to "urgently produce an improvement plan" by a watchdog.

The move follows an inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The force will now be subject to an "enhanced level of monitoring", known as the "engage" process.

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said she recognised the "serious nature" of the findings.

The force was inspected between the end of 2023 and January.

HMICFRS said its decision was not related to the force's handling of the Nottingham attacks case, which has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The full findings of the inspection are yet to be released to the force, but it has been issued with two "accelerated causes for concern".

These are, HMICFRS says, the force's failure to sufficiently manage and carry out effective investigations and support victims, and its failure to have adequate governance arrangements.

The force has been ordered to immediately review all crimes, which appear to have inadequate supervision, to identify suspects and assess the level of risk they pose to the public.

It must also review all crimes in which victims have not received a regular update to assess their needs.

HMICFRS has also ordered the force to develop a workforce plan to ensure it has "effective processes in place and enough officers and staff to help it manage current and future demand".

Inspector of constabulary Roy Wilsher said: "We move police forces into our enhanced level of monitoring, known as engage, when a police force is not responding to our concerns, or if it is not managing, mitigating or eradicating these concerns.

"The engage process provides additional scrutiny and support from the inspectorate and other external organisations in the policing sector to help the force improve and provide a better service for the public."

Ms Meynell said she had "taken urgent action to address the immediate concerns raised" and "ensured that all of the initial recommendations that relate to our investigations and support for victims have been completed".

She said victims were "at the heart of everything" done by the force and that she had overseen changes to help it meet demand.

She added: "I fully acknowledge that our force has work to do to achieve our vision of being an outstanding force that we can all be proud of.

"I am fully committed to working with HMICFRS and we will work tirelessly to address their concerns and deliver the best possible service for the people of Nottinghamshire."

Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner Caroline Henry said she was "assured" by the actions taken by the force.

"This should provide Nottinghamshire's communities with confidence that the force takes these concerns very seriously and is committed to making swift improvements," she added.

The force is also being investigated by the IOPC after it admitted it "should have done more" to arrest Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in the Nottingham attacks in June last year.

Prior to the killings of 19-year-olds Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, 65, a warrant for Calocane's arrest had been issued after he failed to attend court in September 2022 over an alleged assault on a police officer.

Nottinghamshire Police is also being investigated by the College of Policing, and Ms Meynell later told the BBC the force had referred itself to the IOPC over its handling of disciplinary procedures, after it emerged a special constable had viewed bodycam footage showing the aftermath of the attacks.

In a joint statement, the victims' families said they welcomed the move by HMICFRS.

They said: "We have to be optimistic that proper investigations will be carried out and result in more than 'lessons learned and apologies', we want real change to happen.

"And that must, without doubt, include individual and organisational ownership and responsibility."

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