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Statement from Donna Jones, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) on His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s annual State of Policing report for 2023:

“The Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s findings that too many forces are still failing in some areas makes concerning reading. It’s important to acknowledge that improvements are being made, and that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), working with their individual forces on issues specific to their area, are both helping to make a difference and reflecting the views of their local communities.

“Crime is evolving rapidly, creating significant challenges for policing, but this has to be managed alongside the public’s clear desire for neighbourhood policing to deal with those crimes such as antisocial behaviour and theft that people care about most. PCCs want to see the increased numbers of police officers visible in our communities to deliver the level of service the public rightly expects.

“A key priority for PCCs is dealing with violence against women and girls. We readily acknowledge it is an issue that the police cannot solve alone, and we advocate for an approach that tackles the societal root causes of sexual violence. But we urge Chief Constables to re-double their efforts to improve their forces’ effectiveness in this area so that women can feel confident to come forward and seek the justice they deserve.

“We back the Chief Inspector’s call for greater funding certainty for police forces that multi-year funding settlements would provide. A fundamental part of a PCC’s role is overseeing the delivery of an effective and efficient police service in their area, but forces’ ability to deliver this is hampered by single-year government funding announcements. We want a system that enables sensible and realistic financial planning over the medium-term, ensuring value for money for the public. 

“We wish to see a police service in every corner of England and Wales that we and the public can have confidence in and, as the public’s voice in policing, we are committed to playing our part in restoring their trust and confidence by holding Chief Constables to account."

Note to editors

Donna Jones is Chair of the APCC and Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2023