Despite the financial challenges facing policing amidst central Government funding cuts, North Yorkshire Police’s performance continues to improve.
Crime is down compared to this time last year and the number of complaints against police officers and staff are also showing a downward trend.
There has been an 11% reduction in the number of cases the force’s Professional Standards Department has dealt with during the second quarter of this financial year (2011/12).
Between 1 July and 30 September this year 121 cases of complaint were recorded compared to 136 in the same period of the previous year. There was a significant reduction in the number of allegations made within the reported cases – 234 during the second quarter of 2011/12 compared to 305 the previous year. This equates to a 20% decrease.
During the second quarter of 2011/12 North Yorkshire Police dealt with 53,478 incidents.
Further positive statistics show that there has been a 15% reduction in allegations of failures of duty and a significant reduction of 42% in allegations of incivility.
Previously, the two complaint categories of failure of duty and incivility accounted for more than half of allegations made against officers and members of staff, however the figure now stands at 46%.
The largest percentage decrease was in allegations of oppressive conduct, which fell by 55%.
Of the 234 complaint allegations recorded during the second quarter of this financial year 67% have been locally resolved. The local resolution rate for the year to date currently stands at 74%.
Three appeals were made against the local resolution process, two of which were not upheld and the outcome of one is yet to be determined. The extremely low rate of appeal against local resolutions is a positive indicator of the public’s confidence in North Yorkshire Police’s ability to resolve complaints satisfactorily, using a professional and proportionate response.
Steve Read, Director of North Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Unit, said:
The slight reduction in numbers of complaint allegations and cases is welcome.
We are particularly pleased with the maintenance of our rate of local resolution of complaints because the available information from the Independent Police Complaints Commission and other sources, indicates that a locally resolved complaint is likely to bring greater satisfaction to members of the public than a complaint resolved by other means
Scarborough and Ryedale saw a reduction in the number of allegations against officers and staff where a 47% decrease was evident after only 54 allegations were recorded compared with 101 for the same period of the previous year.
Harrogate District saw a reduction in allegations for the second quarter of the current financial year, from 44 to 17.
Allegations in Craven reduced from 17 to 10, while there was a decrease in Hambleton and Richmondshire of 36 complaints compared to 31 previously.
A slight decrease in the number of allegations against officers and staff was recorded in the Selby District (17 down to 15), however York experienced a slight increase with 71 allegations compared to 68 the previous year.
