Commissioner’s Accountability Board highlights dedicated work of rape and sexual assault teams

Commissioner’s Accountability Board highlights dedicated work of rape and sexual assault teams

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has chaired his latest Accountability Board meeting with the Chief Constable and senior leaders to scrutinise policing performance across the county and review the work of the force’s dedicated rape and sexual assault teams.

The Commissioner heard how the force experienced unprecedented demand through its contact centre during the summer months, across both 999 and 101 services. The force continues to receive a significant number of calls relating to non-policing matters despite campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the appropriate use of 999.

Online demand also continues to increase. The Commissioner was reassured that the force takes an equal and consistent approach to handling both 101 and digital contact, with incidents triaged promptly and all crimes recorded within 24 hours.

The force continues to attend more than 94% of emergency incidents within 15 minutes and over 96% of priority calls within one hour. Typically, 93% of routine incidents are attended within eight hours.

A significant part of the meeting focused on the force’s dedicated rape and sexual assault teams, alongside work to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), a key priority for the Commissioner.

For the last two consecutive years, offences affecting women and girls now account for more than a quarter of all recorded crime within Lancashire. Stalking and harassment offences have increased by 15%, rape and sexual offences by 4%, and domestic abuse-related crimes by 2% over the past 12 months.

Lancashire established dedicated rape and sexual assault (RASSO) teams in 2023. Last month, the Government announced that every police force in England and Wales must have specialist RASSO teams in place by December 2027, 18 months earlier than originally planned.

These specialist officers focus on investigating rape and sexual offences, supporting victims and pursuing offenders through the criminal justice system.

The Commissioner heard how demand for the teams, in respect of adult RASSO cases, has increased for three consecutive years and is now 43% higher than in 2022. He also received an update on the extensive training undertaken by officers and noted the challenges associated not only with complex investigations and evidence gathering, but also with the length of time cases can take to progress through the courts.

Performance updates also highlighted sustained reductions in residential burglary, with offences down by more than 12% this quarter compared with the same period last year. This equates to 93 fewer burglaries during the quarter and 319 fewer over the past 12 months, supported by proactive operations such as Op Defender.

The Commissioner also questioned the increase in reported hate crime, with 113 more offences recorded this quarter compared with the same period last year. He was reassured by ongoing work to raise awareness of reporting routes, the force’s strong outcome rate and the oversight provided by dedicated force hate crime officers.

There were 854 collisions in Lancashire in the 12 months ending June 2026 in which someone was killed or seriously injured. The Commissioner heard about the ongoing work around education, prevention and enforcement designed to reduce the number of people harmed on the county’s roads.

The additional investment made in the force’s Professional Standards Department to increase staffing levels and improve the timeliness of complaint handling was also discussed. The Commissioner received assurance that complainants with outstanding cases continue to receive updates every 28 days.

Following the meeting, PCC Clive Grunshaw said: “The past few months have been particularly challenging for policing, both in Lancashire and across the country, with warm weather and major summer events placing additional demands on officers and staff.

“I personally thanked the Chief Constable and everyone across Lancashire Constabulary for their hard work during this period. Despite the increased demand, they have continued not only to respond to calls for service within targets, but also to carry out proactive operations such as Op Centurion and Op Vulture to tackle anti-social behaviour and retail crime.

“Rape and sexual assault are among the most appalling crimes, and I am grateful to officers and staff for their tireless work to support victims, pursue offenders and secure justice. Together, we have worked to ensure that tackling violence against women and girls remains a key priority in Lancashire, supported by the introduction of an Independent VAWG Advisory Group and enhanced support for victims.

“I also welcomed the continued focus on tackling retail crime, strengthening neighbourhood policing and driving up standards across the force, all of which are central to rebuilding public trust and confidence.

“These Accountability Board meetings remain an important mechanism for ensuring transparency, scrutiny and continuous improvement across policing in Lancashire.”