Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) time taken for the police to respond to a reported incident procedures and (b) the effectiveness of that response.

Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). As the locally elected representative for policing, PCCs are responsible for holding their Chief to account for their performance.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services regularly inspects forces’ performance and makes recommendations for improvement where necessary. On 7th July HMICFRS published “Police performance: Getting a grip” which included recommendations on responding to the public. We expect Chief Constables to ensure that appropriate action is taken within their force to address these recommendations, progress against which is monitored by the Inspectorate.

The public want to see police taking visible action in communities, being responsive, and thoroughly investigating crime. On 28 August, the Home Secretary announced that police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. New guidance from the College of Policing provides clear direction on applying a consistent standard of service to have the greatest chance of securing a positive outcome for a victim.

Operational decisions are a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime.