5 July 2024
Dear Mr Seccombe,
Thank you for attending the meeting of the Police and Crime Panel on 20 June 2024 and presenting your Annual Report for 2023/24. The Panel was grateful of your detailed responses to questions raised at the meeting.
The Panel was encouraged to receive details of the range of performance measures taken into consideration to determine Red, Amber, and Green (RAG) ratings to assess Warwickshire Police’s progress against Police and Crime Plan priority areas. The suggestion that the Panel’s Planning and Performance Working Group continue to undertake analysis of across key areas of performance was welcomed by the Panel. This will provide insight into how strategic initiatives are operating in practice, broadening the Panel’s ability to provide challenge and support as your ‘critical friend’.
The proposed briefing to the Working Group on the consultation to gather views about public priorities for policing ahead of preparation of the new Police and Crime Plan will also support the Panel’s ability to provide challenge and support. The Panel has indicated its interest in gauging levels of trust and confidence in policing, and members were encouraged to hear that a comprehensive and far-reaching consultation is proposed. The Panel will take a close interest in the findings of the consultation.
At the meeting, the Panel was grateful to receive details of the progress of implementation by Warwickshire Police of the Empower Change Programme across the three pillars of ‘People’, ‘Place’, and ‘Technology’.
The Panel noted that, under ‘People’, the geographic policing model with command centres in the north, east, and south of the County has embedded well. Under ‘Technology’, the Panel recognised the scale of the work undertaken to transform Warwickshire Police from one of the worst served police forces nationally for provision of ICT to a national leader in this field. This has been an impressive achievement. Under ‘Place’, the Panel noted that there was still work to be done, including progression of the Force’s Sustainability Programme. Details of the pilot scheme to increase the number of electric vehicles used by the Force were received with interest, and the Panel would welcome an update on the findings of this trial at an appropriate time.
The Panel was encouraged to hear that an ongoing process of evaluation has been followed throughout the implementation of the Empower Programme to gauge where improvements could be made and monitor timescales for delivery. The Panel recognises the scale of the project, and the need to continue to adapt and respond to changing circumstances. At the meeting, the Panel emphasised the potential advantages of a detailed evaluation of the implementation of Empower to judge whether it has delivered against each of its objectives and provided the best possible value for money. The Panel would be grateful to receive any details should such an evaluation be undertaken. This could be contrasted with the findings of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in relation to Empower following the anticipated inspection of Warwickshire Police early next year.
In conclusion, the Panel was pleased to note your Annual Report and looks forward to continuing to work as your ‘critical friend’ in the municipal year ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Andy Davis
Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Chair
