Sussex Police Performance and observations

Potential candidacy May 2024: Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner

Mar 28, 2024

Potential candidacy May 2024: Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales will be held on 2 May 2024.

I've been following the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner's newsletter for a while now, receiving updates about upcoming Sussex Performance and Accountability meetings between the PCC and the Chief Constable's team (Webcast library - Sussex PCC Webcasting (public-i.tv) https://sussex-pcc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcasts)).

My interest in policing stems from my involvement in designing and implementing strategic change projects within a national police force during the 1990s, particularly focusing on workforce planning, performance management and crime reporting systems. With a background as an IT Systems Engineer, I bring subject matter expertise in financial systems and human resource management, along with experience serving as a director.

Through the Performance and Accountability meetings, I learned about the report on the Sussex Police Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy (PEEL) 2021/22 inspection by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which was published in April 2023.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate’s assessment of Sussex Police

Finding the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report wasn't straightforward, as the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (SPCC) failed to include a link to it on their website (SPCC - HMICFRS Inspection Reports (sussex-pcc.gov.uk) (https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/our-priorities/governance/hmicfrs-inspection-reports/ )) (see image taken 16/3/24).

Similarly, the Sussex Police and Crime Panel, which is the body tasked with scrutinising the Commissioner's performance, ensuring transparency and accountability, also omitted the PEEL report link on their website (About the Panel – Sussex Police and Crime Panel (sussexpcp.gov.uk)).

Using a search engine, I located the HMICFRS website. Their inspection assesses police efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy (PEEL) across ten areas. The PEEL assessment for Sussex Police (shown in the image below) revealed areas of strength, such as preventing crime and treating the public well, but also highlighted significant shortcomings, particularly in crime recording accuracy, responsiveness to the public, and crime investigation. The HMICFRS inspection found no areas of policing to be “outstanding”. (Sussex - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk)) (https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/police-forces/sussex/):

To find detail on the areas found to be "Inadequate" requires downloading the report PEEL 2021/22: Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy – An inspection of Sussex Police https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets-hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/uploads/peel-assessment-2021-22-sussex.pdf

Regarding “Recording data about crime” the inspection found:

We estimate that Sussex Police is recording 85.6 percent (with a confidence interval of +/- 2.9 percent) of all reported crime (excluding fraud). We estimate this means the force didn’t record over 20,200 crimes for the year covered by our inspection. Its performance is even worse for violent crime (page 12).

The reason given for 20,200 crimes not being recorded is summarised by His Majesty’s inspector:

The force carries out limited crime recording audits and, as a result, wasn’t able to estimate accurately its crime recording compliance. The force did not understand its performance was poor so hadn’t put in place measures to improve crime recording. As a result, senior leadership wasn’t aware of the force performance and areas of crime recording that needed to be improved.

The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable did not have the system in place to audit the accuracy of crime recording compliance. So, they didn’t know their performance was so poor that HMICFRS estimate that 14.4% +/- 2.9% crimes went unrecorded in Sussex in 2021/22. This is a serious management oversight.

Additionally, the force's response to non-emergency calls was deemed inadequate due to long waiting times and inconsistent risk assessments. Furthermore, there was a need for improvement in crime investigation, as a disproportionately high number of cases were closed without identifying suspects compared to the national average.

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 45.2 percent of cases investigated by Sussex Police were assigned an outcome of “investigation complete – no suspect identified” (outcome 18). This was statistically significantly above the average across all forces in England and Wales of 33.7 percent, as shown in Figure 1, copied from the report.

The report for 2022/23 is yet to be published and whilst I’m aware that improvements have been achieved these 2021/22 findings raise concerns about transparency and accountability, given the failure of both the SPCC and the Sussex Police and Crime Panel to provide easy access to the PEEL report and the less than adequate overall performance. Urgent reforms are necessary to address these deficiencies and enhance public safety in Sussex.

Performance for Sussex Police as provided by Police.UK

Information and statistics about crime data and the performance of Sussex Police compared to other police forces is provided by Police.UK (Performance for Sussex Police | Police.uk (www.police.uk) https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area/sussex-police/performance/performance-sussex-police/).

Performance categories

Performance is presented across five categories. The area comparison charts did not contain data in the Police.UK website. The categories are: Case length, Stop and search, Police workforce diversity, Police financial reserves, and 999 performance data.

Analysis, by performance category:

Compare your area This section is presently not functioning.
Case length Cases dealt with by Crown courts.
Average length of cases dealt with by Crown courts in the Sussex Police area was 85.9. Average length of cases dealt with by Crown courts in England and Wales was 75. The average length of cases dealt with by the Crown Courts in Sussex is over ten weeks longer that the average length for all police forces.
Stop and search
- Disproportionate stop and search rates: Black or Black British individuals in Sussex Police are stopped and searched at a much higher rate (954% increase) compared to white individuals, indicating potential racial bias.
- Data collection issues: Over 60% of stop and searches conducted in a four-month period lacked data on whether the outcome was related to the search's purpose, raising concerns about accountability and oversight. (See additional detail in Appendix).
Police workforce diversity
- The police force shows significant underrepresentation of minority ethnicities such as Black, Asian, and Chinese individuals compared to their proportions in the population. For instance, Black individuals only constitute 0.2% of police officers while making up 0.9% of the population.
- Conversely, White individuals are overrepresented, comprising 97.4% of the force despite being 93.7% of the population.
- Overall, there is a clear diversity gap within the police force, indicating a pressing need for initiatives to enhance the representation of minority ethnicities to better mirror the communities they serve.
- Across all ranks, male officers outnumber female officers.
- The proportion of male officers decreases as ranks move up from Constable to Chief Inspector and above, while the proportion of female officers increases. However, males still dominate in higher ranks, indicating a gender disparity in senior positions.
Police financial reserves Resource reserves as a percentage of direct funding in Sussex is 20.5%. This is high compared to most other forces and is the fourth highest reserves held compared to other police forces in England and Wales.
999 Performance data Sussex Police 19,596 calls in Feb 2024; Mean answer time 7.44 seconds; Median answer time 5 seconds; % of calls answered in under 10 seconds 94.3%
Calls answered in under 10 seconds 18481. This is the second highest performance compared to other forces.

In summary, while Sussex Police exhibit strengths in emergency response, there are pressing issues to address regarding case length, stop and search practices, workforce diversity, and financial management to ensure equitable and effective policing services for all communities.

Complaints received by Sussex Police.

The Scheme of Delegation which describes the powers of the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner provide (Scheme of Delegation FINAL 1.4.14 (sussex-pcc.gov.uk) https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/media/7537/surrey-sussex-pcc-scheme-of-delegation-2023-final-if.pdf):

The Chief Constables will manage all complaints against officers and staff in the Force, except in relation to the Chief Constables, which will be dealt with by their respective PCCs. The Chief Constables will ensure that the PCCs are kept informed to enable them to discharge their statutory obligations in relation to complaints in a regular, meaningful, and timely fashion. Serious complaints and conduct matters must be passed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Since 1 February 2020, the PCC is the review body for certain complaints submitted to the Force and is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account in the delivery of the complaints function (Policing & Crime Act 2017).

The number of complaint cases logged in 2022/23 for Sussex was 2414 (Table 1) IOPC Police Complaints Statistics 2020/21 (sussex-pcc.gov.uk) https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/media/8128/police-complaints-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2022-23-1.pdf).

Information about complaints submitted to the PCC as the review body, that could not be resolved by the Chief Constable (https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/media/8162/5a-reviews-analysis-jan-24.pdf).

– 179 reviews were received compared to 166 for the same period in 2022-23. This is an increase of 13 reviews (+7.8%). On average, 19 reviews per month were received versus 17 monthly average for the previous year
– Of the 5 invalid referrals, 2 were out of time, 1 was invalid, 1 withdrawn and 1 sent to PSD
– Compared to last year, upheld complaints are at 15% (11% in 2022/23) however the figures are currently small and therefore volatile
– Of reviews finalised so far, 16% of reviews exceeded the due date, 2 have exceeded more than 5 days overdue so far. Due dates are self-determined by the team at the OSPCC and are not a statutory requirement
– The most common recommendations are 1) apology to be provided 2) reconsider /reinvestigate and provide more information. There are 25 cases with recommendations, 18 have been accepted by Sussex Police
– Organisational learning includes points such as: respond in a timelier manner, show attention to detail, show empathy to complainant during investigation and outcome, provide more information/explanation and remember service quality determination
– Where age is known, the most common age of complainants is 45-64. Where ethnicity is known, 85% are white and 15% are of an ethnic minority
– The top three themes of complaints were: 1) Delivery of duties and service, in particular general level of service and police action following contact 2) Police powers, policies and procedures, particularly decisions and use of force 3) Individual behaviours, particularly impolite intolerant actions and language

Conclusions regarding complaints received.

Increase in Complaints: The data indicates a year-on-year increase in complaints received by Sussex Police, reflecting potential public dissatisfaction with policing services.
Ethnic Minority Complaints: A concerning trend emerges with 15% of complaints coming from ethnic minorities, despite comprising only 0.9% of Sussex residents. This disproportion suggests underlying issues within policing practices, potentially related to stop and search procedures.
Stop and Search Disparities: The disproportionately high number of complaints from ethnic minorities may be correlated with their overrepresentation in stop and search incidents. Addressing this issue is crucial to ensure fair and unbiased policing practices.
Age and Ethnicity: The data also reveals that the most common age group for complainants is 45-64, while 85% of complainants with known ethnicity are white. This demographic breakdown highlights the need for targeted efforts to address the concerns of different age and ethnic groups.
Themes of Complaints: The top three themes of complaints—delivery of duties and service, police powers and procedures, and individual behaviours—indicate areas where improvements are necessary to enhance public trust and satisfaction with policing.
Organizational Learning: Recommendations for organizational learning focus on areas such as timeliness of response, attention to detail, empathy toward complainants, and providing comprehensive explanations. Implementing these recommendations can contribute to improved service delivery and complaint resolution.
Concerns about Unmonitored Crime: There is a concern raised about whether crime within the white community goes unmonitored due to difficulties in distinguishing white individuals, contrasting with the high number of complaints from ethnic minorities. This raises questions about potential disparities in policing practices based on ethnicity.

In conclusion, the data highlights significant challenges in maintaining public trust and satisfaction with policing in Sussex, particularly concerning the treatment of ethnic minorities and the effectiveness of policing strategies. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, including reviewing stop and search practices, enhancing diversity training, and implementing recommendations for organizational learning. Additionally, further investigation into potential disparities in monitoring and addressing crime across different demographic groups is warranted to ensure equitable policing outcomes for all communities.

Appendix

Performance for Sussex Police at Police.UK additional detail.

Police UK information: Stop and search detail.

Stop and search | Police.uk (www.police.uk) https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area/sussex-police/performance/stop-and-search/

Number of stop and searches by outcome per month. Total number of stop and searches carried out by Sussex Police in the months between August 2023 and January 2024.

Of the 3,328 stop and searches between August 2023 and January 2024, 1,013 (30.44%) cases the outcome was linked to the purpose of the search, and in 295 (8.86%) cases it was not linked. For 2,020 (60.7%), this data was not collected.

Concerns:

Concerns about Disproportionate Stop and Search: The data indicates a significant disproportionality in stop and search practices in Sussex Police, with the Black or Black British community being stopped and searched at a much higher rate compared to the white population. The statistics show that Black or Black British residents have a 954% higher probability of being stopped and searched than white residents. This suggests a potential issue of racial bias or profiling in stop and search procedures, which is a concern for ensuring fairness and equity in policing.
Data Collection and Accountability Concerns: The data also highlights concerns about the quality of data collection and accountability in stop and search practices. A substantial percentage (60.7%) of stop and searches conducted over a four-month period did not have data collected regarding the outcome's relevance to the purpose of the search. This lack of data collection raises questions about the effectiveness of oversight and accountability mechanisms in ensuring that stop and search procedures are carried out lawfully and in line with their intended purposes.

In summary, these conclusions suggest the need for further examination and potential reforms in stop and search practices to address issues of disproportionality, racial bias, and data collection deficiencies in Sussex Police.

Conclusions:

Underrepresentation of Minority Ethnicities:
- Black or Black British, Asian or Asian British, and Chinese or Other Ethnic groups are significantly underrepresented among police officers compared to their proportion in the force area population.
- For example, Black or Black British individuals make up only 0.2% of police officers, while comprising 0.9% of the force area population.
Overrepresentation of White Ethnicity:
- White individuals are overrepresented among police officers, constituting 97.4% of the force, compared to their proportion in the force area population (93.7%).
Data Collection Issues:
- A significant portion of police officers (139) did not specify their ethnicity, indicating potential issues with data collection or reporting practices within the police force.
Diversity Gap:
- The data highlights a diversity gap within the police force, suggesting a need for efforts to increase representation of minority ethnicities among police officers to better reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Gender Representation by Rank in Sussex Police:

Conclusions:

Across all ranks, male officers outnumber female officers.
The proportion of male officers decreases as ranks move up from Constable to Chief Inspector and above, while the proportion of female officers increases. However, males still dominate in higher ranks, indicating a gender disparity in senior positions.