By Mark Harris-
Cleveland Police has been removed from ‘special measures’ by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services
The force has been in enhanced monitoring by the inspectorate since April 2019, when it was rated inadequate in all areas.
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Cleveland Police, once marred by a litany of misconduct and inadequacies, has made significant strides in its journey to redemption.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) recently announced the removal of Cleveland Police from “special measures,” signifying a notable turnaround for the beleaguered force. In this comprehensive report, we delve into the force’s troubled history, shedding light on its various failings and assessing whether its removal from special measures is justified.
A Troubled Past
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Cleveland Police’s journey into special measures commenced in April 2019 when the HMICFRS rated the force as inadequate across all areas were characterized by glaring shortcomings, with numerous cases of misconduct coming to the forefront.
Among the alarming issues were reports of abuse of suspects in detention and officers forming inappropriate relationships with vulnerable victims of domestic violence.
Cleveland Police has remained under the scrutiny of the HMICFRS for the past four years, and the force has had to come to terms with the repercussions of its failings and work diligently to rectify them.
The journey towards redemption was punctuated by periodic inspections that aimed to assess the force’s progress.
Signs of Improvement
During this period of enhanced monitoring, Cleveland Police demonstrated a commitment to reform and growth.
The most recent inspection in October of the previous year identified that while significant improvements had occurred, two “causes of concern” still lingered in the areas of preventing crime and anti-social behavior, as well as strategic planning, organizational management, and value for money.
These concerns were publicly disclosed in HMICFRS’s 2021/22 PEEL assessment.
The turning point came during a revisit by the inspectorate last month, where it declared that the force had made “sufficient progress” to address the lingering concerns.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, expressed satisfaction with the improvements made by Cleveland Police. Key improvements that contributed to the removal from special measures included
The force is said to have improved the coordination of prevention activities with the aim of reducing crime and anti-social behavior.
Problem-Solving Techniques: Cleveland Police began utilizing problem-solving techniques to enhance community safety and reduce demand on the force.
Mr. Cooke acknowledged that while progress had been made, there was more work to be done. He outlined plans for Cleveland Police to be inspected again in the coming year, reaffirming the commitment to ensure the community receives the service it deserves.
Leadership’s Role
The force’s leadership played a pivotal role in this transformation. Chief Constable Mark Webster, who assumed his role in April 2022, expressed his commitment to steer Cleveland Police out of HMICFRS oversight.
He praised the dedication and determination of the force’s personnel, acknowledging their daily efforts to drive the force forward.
Chief Constable Webster highlighted several noteworthy achievements, including a substantial reduction in crime over the summer compared to the previous year, an above-average solved crime rate for various offenses, improved quality of prosecutions, and impressive response times for emergency calls.
Despite these strides, he emphasized that there is still much work ahead to further enhance the force’s capabilities.
Acknowledging Stakeholders
Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner, Steve Turner, also played a crucial role in this transformation.
Turner credited Chief Constable Webster’s outstanding leadership as a key factor in the force’s positive trajectory.
Turner expressed gratitude towards the public, the force, and his team for their contributions to this crucial point in the force’s improvement journey.
Mr. Turner’s commitment to restoring public confidence and pride in Cleveland Police included providing clear strategic direction, increased accountability, and greater support for the organization’s teams.
He highlighted the implementation of a unique independent complaints procedure and strengthened scrutiny and accountability processes as key initiatives.
The Path Forward
While Cleveland Police has achieved a significant milestone in its journey towards redemption, the force is well aware that it must build on these foundations to become one of the best in the country.
Its horrid past badly stained its reputation, making it one of the most discreditable forces in the UK.
Monthly ‘IMPACT day’ meetings, chaired by the deputy chief constable, aims to enhance performance and align it with the experiences of victims and service users.
HMICFRS noted “strong evidence” of problem-solving and evidence-based policing promoted by chief officers and senior leaders within the force. Additionally, the force has improved its engagement with partners in a problem-solving context, demonstrating its commitment to a collaborative approach.
Diligent Efforts
Cleveland Police’s removal from special measures marks a significant milestone in its history.
The force’s journey from inadequacy to redemption has been marked by diligent efforts, strong leadership, and a commitment to reform.
While progress has been made, the force is fully aware that there is more work ahead.
The upcoming year will serve as a litmus test to determine whether Cleveland Police can maintain its upward trajectory and provide the community with the service it rightfully deserves.
Numerous cases of misconduct, including abuse of suspects in detention, officers forming relationships with vulnerable victims of domestic violence
Following a number of in-depth inspections over the past four and half years, it was recognised that there have been many “significant improvements” across the service delivery of Cleveland Police.
However, the latest review in October last year identified that two “causes of concern” remained in respect of preventing crime and anti-social behaviour; and strategic planning, organisational management and value for money.
In March this year, HMICFRS published these causes of concern in its 2021/22 PEEL assessment of Cleveland Police.
During a revisit last month, the inspectorate said it was satisfied that the force has now made “sufficient progress” to address those concerns.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, said he has decided to remove Cleveland Police from the ‘engage’ stage of monitoring after identifying a number of improvements, including:
Mr Cooke said: “I am pleased with the progress that Cleveland Police has made so far. Whilst there is still more to do, I have decided to remove the force from our enhanced level of monitoring, known as engage, and return it to routine monitoring.
“I am reassured by the plans Cleveland Police has in place to continue making improvements.
“The force will be inspected again next year, when we will assess its progress to make sure the people of Cleveland are getting the service they deserve from their police force.”
Chief Constable Mark Webster said he was “very pleased” that Cleveland Police is no longer in special measures.
“Since joining Cleveland Police in April 2022, I have been committed to steering a clear pathway out of HMICFRS oversight,” he said. “I have also seen the commitment and determination of colleagues every day, striving to drive the force forward.
“I would like to publicly thank each and every officer, member of staff, volunteer, the senior leadership team and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for their hard work and dedication which has led us to this point.
“The team has shown professionalism and dedication in following our mission to ‘Protect People, Protect Communities, Tackle Criminals and Be The Best We Can Be’.”
Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner Steve Turner said the chief constable’s “outstanding leadership” was one of the key reasons why the force is now in a positive position.
Mr Turner has formally written to local stakeholders expressing his thanks to Cleveland’s public, the force and his own team who have all played a part in getting to “this crucial point in the force’s improvement journey”.
The letter highlights that upon his election in May 2021, the force had not made any significant improvements on its 2019 inspection report which graded it as inadequate in all areas.
Mr Turner said: “I saw it as my duty to restore public confidence and pride in Cleveland Police by providing a clear strategic direction, increased accountability and greater support for the hard-working teams that form our organisation.”
In this letter, the PCC thanks the public for their support and his own team for reforming every aspect of their office, including strengthening the scrutiny and accountability process and implementing a unique independent complaints procedure.
He commended the chief constable and the new leadership team the force now has, adding: “Mark’s outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication are some of the key reasons why the force is in this positive position today.”
Mr Turner also singled out the newly-implemented local policing model and a better working environment for officers as other integral changes Mr Webster has made.
He said the force must now build on if it is to progress to being among the best in the country, and reaffirms his determination to see Cleveland Police be “a beacon for excellence and best practice where residents and businesses feel safe, secure in the knowledge that their force is one they can rely on and be proud of”.
The force has introduced a new performance framework referred to locally as ‘IMPACT’ (Improving and Managing Performance Across Cleveland Together).
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