SIGNIFICANT improvements have been made to Wiltshire's police force, an independent inspector has found.
Wiltshire Police's positive changes were recognised in the latest Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The report comes almost three months after the force was taken out of special measures due to the progress made against concerns raised during the previous inspection.
Read more: Wiltshire Police taken out of special measures following improvements
As part of the PEEL inspection process, HMICFRS provides gradings to forces against various aspects of service delivery from outstanding to inadequate.
In 2022, when Wiltshire Police was last inspected, eight areas were graded, five of which were 'requires improvement' and three 'inadequate'.
In the latest report, nine areas were graded – two of which were 'good', three were 'adequate' and four were 'requires improvement'.
Some of the improvements noted within the report include that the force 'listens and responds to what matters to its communities', activity shows it is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and offenders and suspects are well managed to ensure swift arrests.
Inspectors also said there have been "significant improvements" in the way Wiltshire Police uses stop and search powers "fairly and respectfully".
Furthermore, 1,650 officers and staff have received 'Domestic Abuse Matters' training.
The force must make further improvements to crime recording, including the time it takes to record crime.
It must also ensure it consistently achieves appropriate outcomes for victims and that emergency calls are answered quickly.
Specialist departments are inconsistently staffed which is another area of improvement highlighted by the HMICFRS.
Chief constable Catherine Roper welcomed the scrutiny and fully accepted the PEEL report findings but said there's still "much more to do".
She said: "Whilst we have seen significant improvements in some areas of the policing service we provide, we recognise that we still have much more to do to ensure that policing in Wiltshire and Swindon is at the consistently high quality our communities expect and deserve.
“The Police and Crime Commissioner holds me to account on behalf of communities for providing the best possible service.
"This HMICFRS report provides some good indications that we are improving.
"However, I share HMICFRS’ concerns that we haven’t made the progress we would have wanted to in some areas."
Police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "Today’s report shows Wiltshire Police has come a long way since its last report in 2022.
“Both the Chief Constable and I knew strides were being made to improve in a variety of areas and this was confirmed when the Force was lifted from Engage in May.
"It is pleasing to see this has also been recognised by His Majesty’s Inspectors and we approach this report with a level of cautious optimism."
Wiltshire Police's priorities are safer public spaces, tackling violence and burglary which provides an "anchor point for policing activities".
“Our mission is Keeping Wiltshire Safe," added chief constable Roper.
"I remain steadfast in my belief that by maintaining a relentless focus on continuous improvement, working closely with our communities and partners, we can provide the best possible policing service and ensure that our communities feel truly safe.”
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