West Mercia Police has improved says watchdog

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) says the force has gone from "requiring improvement" to "good" in the annual assessment of how "legitimate" it is in keeping people safe and cutting crime.

HMIC considers a police force to be legitimate if it has the consent of the public, and if those working in the force consistently behave in a way that is fair, ethical, and within the law.

The report found that West Mercia is good at treating all of the people it serves with "fairness and respect", as well as ensuring its workforce "behaves ethically and lawfully".

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said: "In 2015, HMIC judged West Mercia Police as 'requires improvement' in how it legitimately keeps people safe and reduces crime. I am pleased to report that the force has improved and for our 2016 inspection it has been judged as 'good'.

"The force has entered into an alliance with Warwickshire Police, and they share a single vision and values. These values are well understood across both organisations. The forces also work well to identify those who may have less confidence and trust in the police, and understand the reasons for this.

"The forces offer a range of options for staff to report wrongdoing, which encourages ethical and lawful behaviour. The forces also recognise abuse of authority for sexual gain as one of the most serious forms of corruption."

"I was pleased to find that the forces are good at treating their workforces with fairness and respect. We found a clear commitment to health and wellbeing that is recognised by both workforces. The forces have also made significant progress in reducing absence levels and time off accrued."

Chief Constable for West Mercia Police Anthony Bangham welcomed the findings.

He said: "We value the HMIC report into Legitimacy as it encourages us to continue making improvements to our service, evolving our culture and how this is reflected in our engagement with the public.

"Police legitimacy is critical in the public's eyes for the police to be effective and efficient. We need a public that trusts and has confidence in its local police service.

"I am pleased that HMIC recognise the strengths of West Mercia Police and have graded us as good, in respect of the legitimacy with which it keeps people safe and reduces crime. The report also recognises that as a force we are good at ensuring the workforce behaves ethically and lawfully and that we report transparently to the public the outcomes of misconduct and corruption cases. It also reflects that we are treating our workforce with fairness and respect and that the workforce recognises the force's commitment to health and wellbeing.

"While the HMIC grading of good is of course welcomed and deserved, we will continue as an organisation to strive to be better, at protecting the public and the most vulnerable, and I firmly believe we all have the capability and desire to reach this goal."