Our Priorities » Local Priorities
Local priorities are intended to recognise Force objectives in areas not measured through existing performance frameworks.
In essence, this section provides the basis for forces to demonstrate performance in areas unique to each force and for that performance to be published as part of a wider assessment.
Consultation Directs Local Policing Priorities
One of the Police Authority's main roles is to consult with the local community to seek the views of people about the policing service they receive and to obtain their co-operation with the police in identifying and preventing crime in the area.
During the past 12 months the Authority has undertaken this function by consulting with a wide variety of community groups and listening to members of the public at public meetings held at Local Policing Units. Every household within the Police Authority area has also received a prepaid consultation questionnaire with their council tax information. Responses from all consultation initiatives undertaken during 2008/09 have directed the Authority in setting six local policing priorities for the Constabulary.
The Authority will hold the Chief Constable to account for how the Constabulary performs against the objectives set by challenging performance at full Police Authority meetings to be held throughout the year. Dates of meetings are published on the Police Authority website. The public are welcome to attend each of these meetings where there is the opportunity to observe proceedings and raise any questions at the start of the meeting concerning any aspect of business on the agenda. The Chief Constable's quarterly performance report presented to the Authority is also made available on the Police Authority Website.
The Authority will report back to the local community at the end of the financial year on how the Constabulary has performed against the local policing priorities. This information will be published on the Authority's website and will be included in the Chief Constable's end of year performance report.
Priority 1
To maintain and where possible improve on the provision of an excellent quality of service at front enquiry offices.
This priority continues from last year. However, it is proposed that the accompanying objective be changed. Last year the objective related to less use of PCSO's and PC's to cover front enquiry office opening hours. At their discussion day in February 2009, the Police Authority proposed that this year the objective be more explicitly linked to opening hours themselves.
Objective i) To maintain the existing excellent performance by continuing to exceed 95% compliance against front enquiry office published opening hours.
Target: To achieve at least 95% compliance against published front enquiry office opening hours.
Priority 2
To maintain, and where possible improve on the complaints handling process.
This priority continues from last year, when improvements were made to meet a target of local resolution of 50% of eligible complaints. New regulations relating to the resolution of complaints are now in place, and it is considered that retention of this priority will ensure that these changes do not impact negatively upon the complaint handling process.
In addition, this proposed priority reflects the recently agreed Leicestershire Constabulary Policing Pledge to acknowledge any dissatisfaction with service and discuss in person any concerns and what will be done about them.
Objective i) To locally resolve 55% of eligible complaints against police.
Target: To locally resolve at least 55% of eligible complaints against police.
Priority 3
To maintain and where possible improve on beat officer and neighbourhood PCSO abstraction.
This priority continues from last year. However, it is recognised that the performance management systems currently in place around planned abstractions do not completely relate to the new Leicestershire Constabulary Policing Pledge which talks of total abstraction from the beat.
It is anticipated that in 2009/10 further clarity may be forthcoming on a national understanding and definition of this Policing Pledge measure, to allow meaningful comparison amongst forces. It is proposed that in the meantime we will continue to work to minimise abstractions as currently measured, whilst recognising that local measurement of abstractions may need to be reviewed at a later date in line with any national guidelines.
The Policing Pledge also sets out our commitment to minimise staff turn over in these key posts. There is no existing data available to benchmark performance in relation to staff turnover. We will implement management information systems to measure and monitor this turnover rate.
Objective i) To ensure that the pre-planned abstraction rate for PBOs and Neighbourhood PCSO's combined does not exceed 5%
Target: 5% or less pre-planned abstraction as defined.
Priority 4
To maintain and where possible improve response to incidents.
This objective was introduced in 2008/09 and has seen much development work to improve response to less urgent calls for assistance, specifically the introduction of systems of scheduled (diarised) response.
The force has succeeded in introducing a system whereby more than the initial target of 25% of relevant incidents are now being dealt with by scheduled response.
This priority reflects the recently published Leicestershire Constabulary Policing Pledge which sets out the expectation that if appropriate, we will make an appointment to see a caller at a time convenient to the caller.
Objective i) To increase the use of scheduled response to resolve more than 30% of incidents initially graded as requiring a response, but not requiring urgent (grade 1) or prompt (grade 2) response.
Target: To resolve at least 30% of incidents as defined above, with a stretch target of 35%
Priority 5
To support the business community through enhanced prevention and resolution of business related crime.
As the economic downturn impacts upon local business communities, it is anticipated that there will be a raised threat of an increase in business related crime.
Business and retail crime can be taken to include ‘all crime and disorder committed by or against businesses.' The definition is extremely broad, covering internal crimes (e.g. employee theft, fraud and false accounting); external crime (e.g. burglary, customer theft and vandalism) and contraventions of legislation, for example on trading standards or health and safety
At present, analysis suggests that the top four business related crime issues within the force are theft from store, criminal damage, other theft and burglary of business premises.
We will work to ensure that crime levels in these categories do not rise, and in addition we will consult further with our business communities, especially small local businesses, to ensure we understand how crime is affecting them, and how better use of reparation may support them and increase confidence in the criminal justice system. Whilst substantial initial analysis has been undertaken, there is at present no robust, regular performance management information collected. In the circumstances, it is proposed that the first three months of 2009/10 be used to establish benchmark data and regular monitoring systems to allow the setting and monitoring of performance targets for the remaining nine months of the year.
In developing this priority further, we will ensure that we aim to tackle the needs and concerns of small business to support local community concerns.
Objective i) To support partnership work to reduce business crime as defined above, so that this type of crime reduces during the next year.
Objective ii) To increase our consultation with business communities during the first quarter of next year around the use of reparation in resolving business crime, with a view to setting targets for increased use of reparation after three months.
Target:
i) Benchmarking of current business crime, with target to reduce business crime to be set after three months.
ii) Consultation with business communities and benchmarking of current use of reparation to resolve business crime, with target to be set after three months.
Priority 6
To improve resolution of local crime and anti-social behaviour through community-based resolutions.
This is a new theme which has emerged during dialogue with the Police Authority, and reflects the important work that the Force has undertaken this year as part of the pilot trials initiated in response to Sir Ronnie Flanagan's review of policing.
The use of community resolution disposals has now been introduced across the force, and has seen satisfaction rates of 88% in relation to overall satisfaction with how a situation was dealt with. This compares well with overall satisfaction as measured against all users of our services which is currently measured at 82%.
It is felt that further use of these new arrangements will support both user satisfaction and community confidence.
Objective i) To increase the use of community-based resolutions, while maintaining or increasing satisfaction with overall police service amongst those in receipt of such a response.
Target: An increase in the use of community resolution to at least 4,000 per year, whilst maintaining or increasing satisfaction amongst service users.