Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry , who is responsible for monitoring and scrutinising force performance, was criticised by councillors for not spotting the problems sooner.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire has come under fire for allegedly failing to identify issues as soon as inspectors put Notts Police under special measures.
Serious issues regarding the force’s handling of victims and investigative procedures were brought up last week by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
Council members chastised Caroline Henry (Con), the commissioner for Nottinghamshire Police and Crime, for failing to identify the issues earlier. Caroline Henry is in charge of overseeing and analysing the performance of the force.
She expressed her disappointment and amazement upon learning that the force would be placed under special measures, or “Engage status.”
She expressed her hope that the force could leave in less than a year and mentioned the progress Chief Constable Kate Meynell had made.
She justified her lack of awareness of the problems by claiming that inspectors had seen “behind the scenes” of police activities, something she was unable to do.
“I am confident that we won’t stay in Engage for a long time – some improvements are already changes in place,” the commissioner said Monday, March 18, at a meeting of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel. I’m going to amp up the scrutiny of the force.
“On February 14, during our post-inspection debriefing, these concerns were initially brought to my attention.” I haven’t been able to identify these operational elements as PCC.
She also expressed during the discussion her surprise at the exceptional measures decision, considering that there had been no prior notification from the inspectors.
Mrs. Henry characterised the criticism directed towards investigations and victim support teams by inspectors as a “software issue” stemming from officers’ improper use of police technology.
The panel demanded greater openness, and Mrs. Henry promised to deliver it during a briefing behind closed doors.
Inspectors discovered that 609 cases of domestic violence had been backlogged and were awaiting risk assessments. In addition, some of the instances had been closed without informing the victims.
Councilman David Ellis (Lab) questioned the level of surveillance on the force.
“We’ve heard this before following the most recent HMI report in 2022. You say you will be’stepping up scrutiny’,” he said.
“You haven’t been closely examining; under your direction, performance has declined. How are we supposed to trust what you’re telling us?
Councillor Paul Taylor (Lab) expressed his concerns that the report is being treated too lightly, despite the assurances that changes would be implemented. He described the situation as a significant concern for the people of Nottinghamshire.
Ashfield, Indiana, councilman John Wilmott called it “mind-boggling” that issues weren’t resolved sooner.
Notts Police now has to create an improvement plan and has been given until September to implement a number of adjustments.
The inspectorate has verified that the report has nothing to do with Valdo Calocane’s June 2023 attacks in Nottingham. We are reviewing the force’s response to this incident in isolation.
