A national review into the use of police targets has backed work by Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis to hold policing to account in Staffordshire.
The Home Secretary commissioned the review which says police need to move further away from a narrow target-chasing and box-ticking culture which has got in the way of officers doing their jobs.
Mr Ellis scrapped police targets in Staffordshire two years ago and the force has been recognised as one of the best in the country at successfully recording crime.
The review highlights Confidential Inquiry Sessions introduced by the PCC in Staffordshire where key areas of policing are probed in depth, allowing frank discussion and opportunities to challenge police performance and practice.
Mr Ellis said: “Scrapping the tick-box culture in Staffordshire has led to an improvement in performance which contributes to better outcomes for victims because they are at the forefront of ‘no-targets policing’.
“It’s about delivering results for local people by allowing officers to use their professional judgment rather than chasing targets.
“There’s still work to do in this area as we strive to make communities safer and policing more transparent. As well as the Confidential Inquiry Sessions, the independent Ethics, Transparent and Audit Panel (ETAP) is shining the spotlight on the way police record crime to increase public confidence.
“This approach has extended across communities in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent through new Safer Neighbourhood Panels where people can hold their local police commander to account and shape policing at the most local level.
“And this work is widening to provide new website-based information which will soon allow people to see in greater detail how police are performing in their area, highlighting areas where work is needed and to improve the service to communities.”
People can find out more about joining the ETAP or their local Safer Neighbourhood Panel here
The national review was carried out by Chief Superintendent Irene Curtis, President of the Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales. It recommended that police improve performance management measures and that PCCs move away from setting numerical targets and increase their conversation with the public about what ‘success’ looks like.
