Crime victims give Northamptonshire Police biggest thumbs-up in four years

Chief Constable vows Force will still do better despite positive feedback from nearly eight out of ten
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Northamptonshire’s police chief vowed his Force will still do better despite satisfaction levels among crime victims hitting a four-year high.

All those on the receiving end of domestic abuse, burglary, violence, hate crime, anti-social behaviour, and vehicle crime are asked to rate their experience from initial contact with officers and staff to the conclusion of any investigation.

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Latest statistics, from surveys in 2020-21, show 77 percent of all those asked were satisfied with their overall experience with Northamptonshire Police, the highest figure seen since 2017 — an impressive ten per cent increase on the previous year.

Nick AdderleyNick Adderley
Nick Adderley

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: “We don’t under-estimate the impact an incident can have on the lives of victims, witnesses and their families and the needs of victims of crime are at the heart of what we do.

“Of note, 89 percent of victims of domestic abuse were satisfied with the service we provided, which I hope demonstrates our commitment to supporting victims and helping them to stay safe.

“Importantly, 91 percent of domestic abuse victims said they would feel confident contacting the police again and 94 percent would recommend contacting the police to others, while 81 per cent felt safer as a result of contacting us and 88 per cent felt the police care about them.

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“Our biggest rise in satisfaction has been with burglary victims, with an increase from 76 percent to 81 percent in the last year.

How the public rated Northamptonshire PoliceHow the public rated Northamptonshire Police
How the public rated Northamptonshire Police

“In 2019 we launched Operation Crooked, a team of officers who are dedicated to tackling burglary and in that time the number of home invasions in the county has reduced by 45 percent.

“We have also seen a large number of prolific offenders convicted of offences in the last 12 months, and I hope this has helped to offer reassurance to victims.”

People reporting incidents of anti-social behaviour were the least satisfied with the service they received, something the Force intends to improve over the next 12 months.

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Mr Adderley, who succeeded Simon Edens as Northamptonshire’s Chief Constable in August 2018, added: “Last month I announced ASB will be a matter of priority for the Force and as a result I expect to see the number of people who are satisfied with our service improve.

“We always strive to provide the best service possible and although it is good to see our highest overall level of victim satisfaction in four years, we know we can do better.”

Free, confidential support for victims and witnesses of crime in Northamptonshire is available via Voice, who can be contacted at any point after an incident.