Increased response times help tackle crime in Cheshire

Residents from across the county have been benefiting from better police response times.

The improvement was applauded by Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, after a recent meeting where he held the Constabulary to account for their performance on a range of issues.

 On 27 January 2022 a Public Scrutiny Board meeting was held, which saw the Commissioner addressing Cheshire Police’s performance with the Chief Constable and senior officers from the Constabulary. These included crime recording, solve rates, and recruitment, as well as the service being received by the communities in the county.

One of the focal points of the meeting saw the Commissioner focus on the response times the public faced after calling 999 and reporting an incident. The Constabulary grades these calls accordingly, with Grade 1 incidents requiring an officer to attend in 15 minutes and Grade 2 incidents requiring attendance in 60 minutes.

December 2021 saw almost 90 percent of Grade 1 incidents attended in 15 minutes, an increase from 85 percent the previous month. In the same time period, Grade 2 incidents answered within 60 minutes improved to 86 percent, an increase on November 2021.

 John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “Improving public confidence in policing is a key aim of my Police and Crime Plan. I want people to have confidence in contacting the police, so I am extremely pleased with the improving response times in Cheshire.

“The fact that both of these figures are going up simultaneously demonstrates that the Constabulary is using its resources effectively and efficiently, making Cheshire a safer place for those who live, work and visit here. I know the Constabulary is working hard to improve these figures even more.”

One of the responsibilities of the Commissioner is to hold the Chief Constable to account on behalf of residents, to ensure the Constabulary provides the best police service possible.

The main vehicle for this process is the Scrutiny Board. These quarterly meetings consider the Constabulary’s performance against the priorities identified in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan as well as a wide range of performance information relating to all aspects of policing.

John Dwyer added: “I can’t deliver on the public’s priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan without a rigorous scrutiny process where I can highlight what the Constabulary is getting right and where improvements are needed.

“Analysing and scrutinising the response times of the Constabulary is one of the ways I can ensure residents have faith that they will get the support they need, when they need it.”

To see the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, visit:

 www.cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/what-i-do/making-cheshire-safer/police-and-crime-plan/

You can read more about the Commissioner’s scrutiny process at:

www.cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/what-i-do/holding-the-chief-constable-to-account/