Key National Priorities for Policing

Key National Priorities for Policing

The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) (Amendment) Order 2021 was implemented in May 2021. This Order provides that information relating to a police force’s performance against the Government’s published national priorities for policing, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) performance reports on the force, and complaint handling must be published.

A statement on how Lancashire Constabulary is performing in relation to key national priorities for policing (the new National Police Outcomes Framework).

A critical element of Home Secretary’s strategic priority for there to be a relentless focus on cutting crime are the new National Crime and Policing Measures, which set out the Government’s key national priorities on crime. These measures fall under the following headings (data comparisons are made against a 2019 pre-pandemic baseline):

Reduce murder and other homicides

Reduce serious violence

Disrupt drugs supply and county lines

Reduce neighbourhood crime

Tackle cyber crime

Improve satisfaction among victims – with a particular focus on victims of domestic abuse

Lancashire Constabulary have provided the below information for publication in March 2024.

Reduce murder and homicide

During the quarter there were 3 homicides recorded including one where the victim was assaulted 15/08/23 but died 22/11/23. Two offences were in West BCU and one in East. Alcohol factored in two of the offences and one was linked to the night-time economy, and the third offence was linked to drugs and organised crime activity with the offender being known as a drug dealer. All three victims were male and died as a result of punching/beating. Offenders in all three offences have been charged and RIC.

Reduce serious violence

There were no confirmed firearm discharges in the quarter, with the most recent in January 2023. From October to December 2023 were three firearms seizures, all shotguns. Two were located in house searches, and one during a vehicle stop. Of note, a firearm which was discharged in Skelmersdale in January 2022 has been used again in Salford on 04/11/23. This represents the sixth incident involving this firearm, all within the North West.

Disrupt drugs supply and county lines

National data shows a 10% increase in Police Recorded Drugs Offences in Lancashire, when the year to November 2023 is compared against a pre-pandemic baseline. Nationally, there has been a 1% increase. This coincides with a steady increase in stop-search use since November 2022 (557) to December 2023 (922), and a monthly high of 24% positive outcomes.

Reduce Neighbourhood Crime:

Levels for DA victims and Overall victims show small variations, at 83.4% and 73.5% respectively (12 months to end of Jan 2024). The overall figure includes the e-mail surveys for non-DA and Stalking victims. The increase in DA is 0.9% and in overall satisfaction 3.7%. The change in overall victim satisfaction is likely influenced by the focus on DA and stalking, which will change now that the e-mail surveys are active.

Cyber crime

The number of recorded cybercrimes saw an decrease of 15.0% in the 12 months leading up to December 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 from 6,057 to 5,124.