NEARLY 20 per cent of cases reviewed by the police inspectorate in its critical report into Dorset Police lacked an investigation plan.

The full Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) PEEL assessment of Dorset Police, which graded the force as ‘good’ in just two out of eight categories, has been published.

Inspectors found the force ‘requires improvement’ in how it investigates crime and how it responds to the public.

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The report said: “In nine of the 46 relevant cases we reviewed, the investigations lacked an investigation plan.

“The force uses an investigation template and is using it correctly some of the time. We found the initial summary is usually comprehensive, but the investigative opportunities elements are often not completed.

“Of the 61 cases we reviewed where supervisors needed to give advice and direction to the investigation, we found this didn’t take place in 10 cases.

“We saw some examples of cases that had stalled, with no supervisory intervention or regular review to make sure officers conducted enquiries when they should.

“In seven of the 70 relevant cases we reviewed, members of the force hadn’t completed important lines of enquiry, resulting in missed investigative opportunities.”

Inspectors also found the number of witnesses disengaging from the criminal justice process when a suspect had been identified increased.

An auditable record of the victims’ wishes was only present in three of the 20 relevant cases.

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The assessment found call handlers at Dorset Police didn’t always check if callers were repeat victims or if they were vulnerable.

“The force doesn’t always answer calls for service in published target times,” the report said.

“Failure to answer calls quickly enough can lead to losing both public confidence and investigative opportunities.”

David Sidwick, Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, declined to be interviewed by the Daily Echo.

In a press release issued by Dorset Police, he said: “HMICFRS have changed and expanded the way in which they grade police forces across the country, and I welcome the increased level of scrutiny, accountability and transparency that will now feature in the report.

“I am particularly pleased to see that Dorset Police has been rated as ‘good’ at preventing crime and at tackling anti-social behaviour – as cutting crime and tackling ASB is a priority in my Police and Crime Plan.

“The report has also issued a rating of ‘adequate’ for areas such as protecting vulnerable people and has highlighted areas where there is room for improvement, such as investigating crime and responding to the public and therefore the report both records the achievements of Dorset Police and provides a firm foundation for improvement.

“It should be noted however, that this PEEL report reviews a time before the introduction of both my Police and Crime Plan and the Chief Constable's Policing Vision.

“Both the Chief Constable and I share the same high ambitions for policing, which essentially is to provide an excellent police force for the people of Dorset, and I will work alongside the Chief and his staff to ensure that the force achieves that ambition.”