AVON and Somerset Police has again been rated 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime in its latest inspection report.

The force is among 30 nationwide to achieve the standard in the PEEL - policing, effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy - findings, with only two 'outstanding', while ten 'require improvement'.

A report from HM's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said Avon and Somerset had made "significant progress" despite budget constraints.

It said: "The force is judged to be outstanding in its understanding of demand; its use of resources to manage demand is judged to be good; and its planning for future demand is judged to be good."

Successes outlined in the report outlined included:

  • preserving the number of frontline officers and PCSOs;
  • management support to handle complex, sensitive and damaging crimes;
  • placing vulnerable victims at the heart of policing;
  • ensuring the right help for people in mental health crisis;
  • a protocol with the fire service to be the first attender on calls to check the welfare of individuals;
  • a data visualisation application giving real-time information about demand, resources and crime;
  • a ‘borderless’ approach for response and investigations;
  • understanding the nature of complex crime against vulnerable victims or communities;
  • raising awareness about female genital mutilation;
  • an anti-slavery partnership;
  • a mental health triage team in the control room that has provided advice in 3,228 cases and avoided the need for 370 police deployments since October 2016.

Avon and Somerset Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Crew said: "HMIC has praised us for having a culture of continuous improvement – one where staff at all levels are encouraged to review their area of work for improvement opportunities.

"Inspectors were encouraged to see staff responding and participating positively to our blogs and the Chief Constable’s roadshow events, and highlighted our challenge to identify a one per cent improvement opportunity.

"They recognised that these marginal gains had grown in momentum, encouraging the workforce to get involved in force-wide improvement and the development of specific projects, all of which have helped to achieve improvements in the way we work.

"We’re very encouraged to see HMIC recognises the positive steps we’ve put in place over the past two years to tackle improvements in crime recording, which we’ve worked hard to achieve."

She added: "But we aren’t complacent - our ambition is for Avon and Somerset to be an outstanding police force."

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: "The constabulary is making good use of police resources and leading the way in understanding the demand that complex crime presents.

"Being able to identify and predict offending patterns, using the latest technology, has been vital in understanding both current and future policing demands.

"I am excited about the prospect of taking the next step in developing predictive technologies."