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HMIC Inspections

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) independently assesses police forces and policing activity in the public interest – ranging from neighbourhood teams, to serious crime and the fight against terrorism. For more information about the HMIC, visit their site.

All HMIC reports relating to North Wales are listed below:

Meeting the needs of victims in the criminal justice system – An inspection of how well the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service support victims of crime

An inspection of the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales

PEEL 2022/23 – An inspection of the north west regional response to organised crime


Counter Terrorism Joint Inspection – National security division and multi-agency arrangements for the management of terrorist offenders in the wake of terrorist attacks


Race and Policing - An inspection of race disparity in police criminal justice decision-making


Inspection of Race and Policing: A review of the police service’s leadership and governance arrangements for race-related matters


Inspection of the police contribution to the prevention of homicide


How effective police forces are in the deployment of firearms


Police Performance, Getting a Grip, PEEL spotlight report


Inspection into the effectiveness of vetting arrangements in North Wales Police


Inspection into how well the police tackle serious youth violence


Inspection into the values and cultures in Fire and Rescue Services


PEEL 2021/22 Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy, an inspection of North Wales


Inspection into how well the police and other agencies use digital forensics in their investigations


An inspection of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service


National child protection inspection post inspection review

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/north-wales-national-child-protection-post-inspection-review/


Interim report Inspection into how effectively the police engage with women and girls

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/interim-report-inspection-into-how-effectively-the-police-engage-with-women-and-girls/


HMIC Inspections 2016-2021

Policing in the Pandemic -The police response to the coronavirus pandemic during 2020

https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/the-police-response-to-the-coronavirus-pandemic-during-2020/


Custody services in a COVID-19 environment


Review of policing domestic abuse during the pandemic

Review of policing domestic abuse during the pandemic – 2021 - HMICFRS (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk)


Getting the balance right? An inspection of how effectively the police deal with protests

North Wales Police were not a principal force inspected, nor were asked to contribute to the inspection.

The main findings of the inspection suggest that forces in England and Wales do not strike the right balance on every occasion when policing protests.

Commissioner's Response


National Child Protection Inspection –Thematic Report

The National inspection has provided three recommendations for Chief Constables in all 43 forces. It has been agreed that the third recommendation does not apply to North Wales Police because it has already been inspected prior to the release of this report.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL – Spotlight report The Hard Yards – Police to Police collaboration.

I have reviewed the findings of the inspectorate surrounding the two North Wales collaborations and I am pleased that overall they are considered as effective collaborations. There has been an increase in the number of collaborations with neighbouring forces because of funding reductions, cross border offending and the requirement for specialist services.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy 2018/19 Report

I am pleased that North Wales Police is considered as good at reducing crime and keeping people safe which includes the protection of vulnerable people. My overall objective within my Police and Crime Plan is to reduce the criminal exploitation of the most vulnerable within our communities and the protection of these individuals’ features throughout the plan. It is evident therefore from the overall outcome of this inspection that North Wales Police are successfully fulfilling my Police and Crime Plan objectives.

Commissioner's Response


National Child Protection Inspection – North Wales Police

I’m pleased that the inspectorate have identified that myself, the Chief Constable and his senior team are committed to protecting vulnerable people, including children. My overarching priority of my Police and Crime Plan is to reduce the criminal exploitation of vulnerable people. Those who are vulnerable are often targeted by organised crime groups for child sexual exploitation (CSE), county lines and cuckooing. The Early Action Together programme, set up to tackle Adverse Childhood Experiences,  is beginning to have a positive effect across the Force area through early intervention in order to break cycles of abuse, exploitation and future vulnerability.

Commissioner's Response


The poor relation: The police and CPS response to crimes against older people 

The main findings of the inspection suggest that forces in England and Wales have a limited understanding of older victim’s needs. As a result of the inspection, there are three recommendations by the inspectorate to improve this service.

Commissioner's Response


Fraud - Time to Choose 2019

The HMICFRS National Inspection of Fraud: Time to choose highlighted that there is an inconsistent approach in tackling fraud
across England and Wales. North Wales Police were not one of the chosen forces inspected and have already completed the one recommendation of publishing a fraud policy.

Commissioner's Response


Policing and Mental Health – Picking up the pieces 2019

I am pleased that the inspectorate has recognised the unnecessary demand placed on police forces due to the failure of other services. Those who are in crisis should be cared for by health professionals and not by the police. I agree that there needs to be a radical rethink to guarantee a timely expert response from the health service.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL Legitimacy 2017

PEEL Legitimacy 2017 looked at the extent to which:

  • forces treat people with fairness and respect;
  • they ensure their workforces act ethically and lawfully; and
  • those workforces feel they have been treated with fairness and respect by the forces.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL Efficiency 2017

The PEEL Efficiency inspection 2017:

  • examined how well the force understood the demand for their service, how well they match their resources to that demand, and how well they are planning to meet future demand; and
  • provides an assessment of their efficiency.

Commissioner's Response


Crime Data Integrity 2017

The Crime Data Integrity report 2017 found that the force:

  • achieves high levels of recording accuracy for reported sexual offences;
  • has made good progress in its procedures in respect of the cancellation of recorded crimes;
  • has worked hard in bringing about improvements in the knowledge and understanding of the crime-recording requirements for modern day slavery crimes among officers and staff;
  • has implemented all of the recommendations set out in our 2014 report; and
  • has made good progress against a national action plan developed to improve crime recording by police forces.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL - Police Legitimacy 2016

HMIC defines a legitimate force as one whose staff and officers are seen by the public consistently to behave fairly, ethically and within the law. It seeks to identify and resolve issues relating to fair and respectful treatment by the police.

Within this inspection HMIC looked at:

  • the extent to which forces treat people with fairness and respect;
  • the extent to which they ensure their workforces act ethically and lawfully; and
  • the extent to which those workforces themselves feel they have been treated with fairness and respect by the forces.

Commissioner's Response


PEEL - Police efficiency 2016

HMIC inspected North Wales Police on its efficiency by examining how well it understands the demand for its service and how well it
matches its resources to that demand. North Wales Police has been assessed as good in respect of the efficiency with which it keeps people safe and reduces crime. It recognises the importance of having a better understanding of current demand for its services so that its resources can be used efficiently to prioritise and respond to demand

Commissioner's Response