Commissioner’s Accountability Board highlights improved outcomes for victims

The session focused on the Constabulary’s continued progress toward meeting the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, ensuring that every community has dedicated, visible, and accessible neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs.

The Commissioner received updates confirming that Lancashire remains on track to strengthen local patrols, improve community contact, and targeted problem-solving activity.

The Commissioner was told how crime is down 2% across Lancashire and positive outcomes for crimes are one of the best in the country at 20.9%.

Performance updates were also presented on emergency and non-emergency contact, with the Constabulary reporting sustained improvements in both 999 and 101 answer times.

Recent data shared at the meeting highlighted continued progress in answering emergency calls promptly and reducing waiting times for the public when contacting the police for non-urgent matters. Online reporting continues to be a channel of choice, with the force receiving around 120 online reports daily. However, up to half are not crime related which reaffirms more work is needed so that people with health or social care needs, particularly those in mental health crisis, are supported by the most appropriate professional, rather than defaulting to police.

The Commissioner also scrutinised response times for frontline officers attending incidents and heard that attendance remains within agreed timeframes, with ongoing work to improve deployment efficiency and ensure the right resources reach the right places as quickly as possible. He was also reassured that abstraction levels remain low.

Another key area of focus was victim experience and outcomes. The Constabulary reported encouraging progress in securing positive outcomes for victims, supported by improved investigative processes and greater use of evidence-led approaches.

The Commissioner emphasised the importance of maintaining this trajectory and continuing to prioritise the needs of victims throughout the criminal justice process.

Following the meeting, PCC Clive Grunshaw said: “These accountability sessions are essential to ensuring Lancashire Constabulary delivers the high-quality policing service our communities expect and deserve.

“I welcome the continued progress in 999 and 101 performance, response times, and the positive steps being taken to improve outcomes for victims. Lancashire remains firmly on track to deliver the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, strengthening local policing and keeping our communities safe.”

The Commissioner will continue to hold regular Accountability Board meetings to ensure transparency, robust scrutiny, and sustained performance improvements across all areas of policing.