Performance and Measurement

Summary

Dorset Police serves a resident population of 710,000, 300,000 of whom live within the Poole/Bournemouth conurbation.

The force has two overarching strategic objectives – to make Dorset safer and to make Dorset feel safer. Meeting the needs and expectations of the public is key to all priorities, and central to this is Neighbourhood Policing. Safer Neighbourhood teams are currently being rolled out across the force area, with a completion date of March 2008.

The force undertook a comprehensive review to identify how it could best reshape itself and reallocate resources to meet modern challenges, including providing protective services. A programme of organisational change, Dorset 2010, has been agreed and will be implemented between now and 2010. One of the significant changes will be the rationalisation of four divisions into two – one covering the conurbation of Poole and Bournemouth and the other the more rural areas of the Dorset County Council area.

Dorset is one of five forces within South West England that have put together a joint bid to collaborate on service delivery; it has received Home Office approval and some funding. Dorset continues to explore separate collaborative arrangements with Hampshire Constabulary and other non-police bodies.

HMIC has recently assessed how the force is delivering Neighbourhood Policing, Performance Management and Protecting Vulnerable People. Across all three areas, it has either maintained or improved on a satisfactory or better level of service to the public. Improvements have been made in the protection of vulnerable people, with the completion of a review of the public protection unit structure and further increases in resources.

During 2006/07, overall crime decreased by 6.1% and the force remains lower in terms of crimes per 1,000 residents than its peer-group average. Substantial reductions have been achieved in domestic burglary (down 24%), vehicle crime (down 20.8%) and violent crime (down 1.8% – the first reduction for seven years). Significantly, violence involving injury to a victim was reduced by 13%. The number of offences brought to justice exceeded the target for 2006/07 and sanction detections have risen steadily since 2003, although force performance is marginally below the peer-group average. The force set three local priorities for the year 2006/07 and these are continued in 2007/08; they concern the percentage of calls answered within ten seconds, the percentage of calls to the police enquiry centre answered within 30 seconds, and a 5% increase in the number of checks on ports.

The HMIC baseline assessment for 2005/06 did not grade any framework Poor or Fair/Deteriorated but did cite a number of key areas for improvement. The force has ensured that progress on these is monitored through relevant portfolio boards chaired by respective chief officers.

In 2006/07, the force achieved strong satisfaction ratings for whole experience compared with most similar forces and was one of the best forces nationally for public confidence. This builds on strong performance in this area in recent years.

The force developed a sound operational plan for the Labour Party Conference in 2007 (and proposals are in development for a Liberal Democrat Conference in 2008). In the coming years, the force will be called upon to police the sailing world championships and the 2012 Olympic sailing event. The timely roll-out of Dorset 2010 will be paramount in enabling full concentration on the 2012 Games and other significant events, as well as maintaining and improving normal services. Both the force and its police authority recognise the financial challenges that lie ahead over the next few years; to enable them to meet those challenges, they are increasing their focus on further improving levels of productivity and providing protective services and Neighbourhood Policing.