Chief Constable's Annual Report, 2021-2022

Highlights from the report* are:

• 317,993 calls for service, and increase of 3.2%
• 180,143 incidents attended, a decrease of 4.8%, as many from 2020/2021 were Covid related
• 36,574 people safeguarded, a decrease of 5% from previous year

Chief Constable Nick Adderley states: “The last 12 months have continued to be challenging, but I am exceptionally proud of colleagues across Northamptonshire Police and how they policed through the pandemic. We recorded our lowest ever sickness figures during Covid, and despite the undoubted challenges it presented for policing, our service levels were maintained throughout.

“As we emerge from two years of lockdowns and disruption, it is vital we remain focused on protecting vulnerable people - something that has always been a priority for me - and not only seek out those at risk in order to protect them, but to work collaboratively with partners to ensure the people of Northamptonshire can thrive.”

The report details:

• why Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a Matter of Priority for the Force
• the recruitment programme in progress to ensure that an additional 330 officers are recruited by March 2023, an increase of 28 per cent since October 2019
• Tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) remains a Matter of Priority for the Force. However, the challenge remains around knife crime, where despite significant improvements in the past 12 months, the Force remains an outlier nationally in comparative performance

Since the last annual report, the Force has put in place a dedicated surveillance team. The team, consisting of 15 officers, 2 Detective Sergeants and a Detective Inspector are working with EMSOU (East Midlands Specialist Operations Unit) to develop their capability and are able to deploy covert surveillance in addition to mobile capability.

In addition to this, the force has been able to introduce a new mobile Digital Lab. The vehicle is a fully operable mobile forensic set up, with similar capabilities to a fixed lab, but deployable to crime scenes. It enables the Force to retrieve data swiftly ensuring victims of rape or serious sexual offences are never left without their phone for more than 24 hours.

The Chief continues: “The Force also faces considerable financial challenges in the coming years. To deliver a high-quality service to the public, we will need to develop a programme of efficiencies, coupled with smarter investments. Crime is evolving at significant pace, so it is important we capitalise on the technology now available not only to adapt to modern life and communication, but to get ahead of criminals, who are increasingly moving to online crime, such as fraud and child sexual exploitation, to prey on the most vulnerable in society."

The Chief concludes: “As ever, I remain committed and confident that Northamptonshire Police will continue to thrive as I head into my fifth year as your Chief Constable.

 “Northamptonshire is a beautiful county and the staff and officers across the Force continue to work incredibly hard to be visible and to keep you safe.”

The full report is linked below.

*All performance date from April 2021/22