16 April 2004
At least eight police forces, including Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, are in danger of receiving a 'poor' rating under the Home Office's new grading system for policing, due to be unveiled shortly.
Public Finance has learnt that the Home Office has identified forces in vital need of support and improvement after completing the new baseline assessments for all 43 forces in England and Wales over the past 18 months.
These are Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire.
Sources at the Home Office said it was 'highly likely' that poor performances and practices identified at each force, and the weak systems underpinning such performances, would be reflected in low ratings in the first 'league tables' for policing.
Under the new assessment initiative – endorsed by Home Secretary David Blunkett and the chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Keith Povey – forces will be rated in one of four categories: 'excellent', 'good', 'fair' or 'poor'.
Ministers could send in 'hit squads' to help failing forces improve, although the Home Office has stressed that would be 'a last resort option'.
A 'poor' rating, sources said, would reflect inspectors' belief that there was 'no evidence of effective activity' across many police tasks. By contrast, an 'excellent' rating assumes 'the identification of effective processes across many tasks'.
The inclusion of both Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, two of Britain's largest urban forces, in the lowest category will alarm Labour ministers determined to stamp down on crime across Britain's major cities at a time when Blunkett has secured record levels of investment for policing.
The assessments have been compiled using data on performances across the range of police activities, including cutting violent crime, reducing overall crime rates, responding to 999 calls and curbing loutish behaviour.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'The aim is to provide support to Britain's forces, by identifying where improvements can be made, and to provide the public with transparency regarding the work of their local forces.'
It has been reported that forces in Staffordshire, Lancashire and Northumbria will be rated 'excellent'.
However, Home Office sources were unable to confirm this.
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