Chief Constable announces major performance improvements in the areas identified as his key Matters of Priority over the past 12 months

Chief Constable Nick Adderley today praised officers and staff for helping to deliver real performance progress in tackling the Matters of Priority he identified for the Force over the past 12 months.

The priorities identified were based on the actual threat and risk they pose on a daily basis to communities across Northamptonshire, in particular the most vulnerable, but also because the public told us these were the areas they most wanted a clear focus on– Serious and Organised Crime, Knife Crime, Domestic Abuse and Anti-Social Behaviour.

Supported by a high profile campaign and proactive operational activity, the end-of-year data now shows marked improvement in performance with almost all targets achieved.

On knife crime, the Force recorded a reduction in serious harm offences with a fall too in the number of repeat offenders and a rise in police positive outcomes when an offence is detected and resolved for the victim.

In Wellingborough, where Op Revive has proactively tackled knife crime over the past year, offences fell by almost 30 per cent.

Significantly too, there has been a drop in the number of robberies where knives were used by perpetrators.

A total of 1,176 knives were recovered over and above those surrendered in formal amnesties, meaning fewer weapons were in the hands of offenders.

On domestic abuse, Force data shows a reduction in repeat victims and repeat offenders and improved response times from officers called to incidents.

More arrests have been made at a time when the national trend has been decreasing and more victims have been successfully protected as a result of different tactics, including an increase in the use of Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPO).

Proactive operations by Northamptonshire Police have also reported success in tackling Serious and Organised Crime in the past 12 months with a recorded increase in drugs trafficking offences.

This included the largest single seizure of Class A drugs when a lorry packed with almost 800 kg of narcotics and a street value of £78m was recovered in Brackmills, Northampton, last December.

The Force reported a significant increase in firearms seizures, including components and ammunition, rising from 1017 in the previous year to 1665 in the past 12 months.

More fraud offences have been detected while the detection rate for cyber-related offences – an emerging trend - has also increased with fewer repeat victims than previously.

Anti-social behaviour was identified as a threat and concerted efforts by the police have helped to reduce demand – which had peaked during the initial Covid-19 period – while there were also fewer repeat victims being targeted.

ASB victim satisfaction rates have dropped off in the past year, although data from the past three months show this figure is beginning to climb again.

Chief Constable Adderley said the data was testament to the superb work of his officers and staff who had tackled these areas head-on and delivered an improved service for victims and wider communities.

He said: “A year ago we listened to what the Northamptonshire public was telling us and we have gone out and significantly improved our performance against these crime types.

“Nationally, we were ranked eighth across all 43 police forces in terms of the number of positive police outcomes we achieved for victims. This is a step change in terms of performance and meant we recorded the second best year-on-year improvement nationally.

“We strive constantly to build public trust and confidence in policing in this county.

“Be under no illusion, we are not there yet, but I hope the upward trend is an indicator of just how much this Force has progressed, evidenced by the improvements identified in our latest HMICFRS inspection report.

“In the coming days and weeks, I shall be announcing our Matters of Priority for the next three years and I intend to keep you, the public, updated as to how we are performing in the areas identified.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work being done by our officers and staff right across the Force, but none of this would be possible without the continued support of those living in the communities we serve.”