Lincolnshire Police is under close scrutiny after an inspection report highlighted “significant service failures.”
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was due to ‘significant service failures.’
Inspectors highlighted concerns over attendance times for calls and how the force manages sex offenders.
It has been told to attend calls in line with its published target attendance times.
The force also needs to make sure it has the capacity and capability to manage risks posed to the public by registered sex offenders.
But Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones says all the criticism was evidence of ‘generational underfunding.’
The force has been placed into a special monitoring process called Engage, which brings support from external organisations such as the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
HMICFRS has told Lincolnshire that it also needs to improve how it allocates, supervises and carries out investigations to make sure victims receive the report they need.
It must also improve its understanding of demand and have adequate strategic plans in place.
“I welcome any report which offers advice on how the force can improve its service to the public and I will work hard to support and challenge the chief constable to do all that is possible with the resources he has available and improvements must be seen,” said Mr Jones.
He also criticised the way government instructs inspections to be carried out, without taking context and widely differing funding levels into account.
“The inspection process itself is flawed, in my opinion. HMIC inspects against a standard which is based upon being properly funded and resourced.
“If you want to judge forces against each other then you need to fund them to the same level. No-one compares Lincoln City’s performance in the league to Manchester City, that would be ridiculous. Yet that is exactly how HMIC is expected to operate.”
He said the county ‘punches above its weight in many areas.’
Mr Jones and chief constable Paul Gibson wrote to the Home Office, College of Policing and HMICFRS requesting national support as the force faces a £57m deficit over the next four years.
Provisional funding allocations are made later this month. The Home Office said it had received the letter and that it would respond.
