Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said that ‘positive progress’ was being made on the Constabulary’s contact with the public, as he held his regular Accountability Board meeting.

The meeting, which sees the Commissioner scrutinise the Chief Constable on the force’s performance, and hold her to account for delivery of the Police and Crime Plan, highlighted the latest statistics on the time it takes for calls to be answered, and responded to by officers.

Recent time to arrive data showed officers attended 97.7% of priority incidents within the expected service level.

The force control room also continues to see improvements, with abandoned non-emergency 101 calls down to its lowest point of 0.5% of calls.

Regular Accountability Boards are just one of the ways that the Commissioner holds the Chief Constable to account, ensuring transparency, accountability and effective policing area delivered across every area of Lancashire.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Commissioner to address community concerns, and discuss key priorities including violence against women and girls, anti-social behaviour and serious violence. Other topics on the agenda included custody, professional standards, and the Constabulary’s latest HMICFRS inspection.

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said:

“Holding the Chief Constable to account and scrutinising Lancashire Constabulary’s performance is a key part of my role as elected Police and Crime Commissioner. Accountability Board allows me to examine the force’s performance, ensure resources are being used effectively, and drive improvement to ensure the best possible policing service for the people of Lancashire.

“A key part of this is public contact with the Constabulary as members of the public rightly demand high levels of customer service and across a wide range of contact options from 999, 101 to online reporting.

“Ultimately the public need to be reassured that officers will be there when they need them, and be able to trust that they will deliver a service that keeps them and their communities safe. The sustained progress being seen in the contact centre and in response to calls for service is encouraging and testament to the dedication from police officers and staff who work around the clock to protect the public.

“The benefits to the changes made in the force operating model are now being realised, together with ongoing investments into technology. I will continue to hold the force to account on this and other key performance measures, with strong leadership and tough scrutiny that delivers the efficient policing the public deserve and expect.”