West Yorkshire Police must improve the way it investigates offending, according to a watchdog report which praises the force in many other respects.

The Inspectorate of Constabulary’s annual assessment found that West Yorkshire Police was generally good at reducing crime and preventing offending and good at tackling anti-social behaviour. It had made impressive progress in developing and carrying out a programme of change that was enabling it to provide good value for money.

The force had also acted to achieve fairness and legitimacy in some of its practices.

But HMIC found improvement was required in the way it investigated offending. West Yorkshire was one of 18 police forces out of 43 needing to improve, which the Inspectorate found to be of "material concern."

West Yorkshire Temporary Chief Constable, Dee Collins, said: “Crime has fallen in West Yorkshire by 19 per cent over the last four years and the proactive work we have been doing, including using predictive policing methods to identify areas at risk, has seen a particular reduction in dwelling burglaries.

“We note the Inspectorate's comments that the sustained focus on preventing and reducing burglaries should not be at the detriment of other crime priorities. We are increasing prioritisation in other areas, including the recruitment of additional investigators to tackle safeguarding and child sexual exploitation investigations following the allocation of funding by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

"We aim to take a victim-centred approach to our investigations and it is encouraging that our victim satisfaction rate is higher than the national average. We have recently introduced a new protocol which better assesses the vulnerability, risk and needs of callers, and contracts which are unique to each victim and set out the nature and frequency of contact that the victim wishes to have. We hope they will further ensure that services to victims are tailored to their individual needs.

"Reducing anti-social behaviour remains a Force priority and the problem solving approach we are taking with partners in the council-run anti-social behaviour hubs appears to be working.”

Temporary Chief Constable Collins added: “The Programme of Change is altering the way we do business and this assessment endorses that we are on the right track. The challenge remains significant. Although we have realised huge savings, the further major savings needed are going to become increasingly difficult to find.

“I want to reassure people that we remain fully committed to providing quality services via our front line resources within our neighbourhoods and communities, whilst also recognising the changing demands such as child sexual exploitation, safeguarding and human trafficking.”

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