Merseyside Police assigned Level 1 status in new national Police Performance System
16.07.26 - Merseyside
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has today (Thursday 16 July) assigned Merseyside Police Level One under its new Policing Performance System (PPS).
Every police force in England and Wales has been assigned a level between One and Four based on its current performance, the level of support required and its engagement with improvement activity.
The rating system replaces the previous Scan and Engage monitoring process and is designed to strengthen the way police performance is monitored, ensuring support and intervention can be provided where required and helping forces deliver sustained improvements.
Level One is the top tier and HMICFRS describes it as the default position for forces making progress and continuous improvements, with no further action or intervention required from the performance system at this time.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: "I welcome HMICFRS’s decision to place Merseyside Police in Level One under the new Policing Performance System - the default position for forces that are demonstrating progress and continuous improvement.
"This assessment follows the recent PEEL inspection, which identified significant strengths across the force, including an Outstanding grading for preventing and deterring crime, antisocial behaviour and reducing vulnerability, alongside Good gradings in leadership, workforce development and the fair use of police powers.
"At the same time, the PEEL inspection made clear there are areas where further improvement is needed, particularly around investigations, outcomes for victims and aspects of response policing and safeguarding. Those findings remain my priority.
“As Police Commissioner, I will continue to hold the Chief Constable and his senior leadership team to account for delivering the improvements that communities across Merseyside rightly expect.
“This Level One grading recognises that progress is being made and that the force is moving in the right direction, but we are not complacent. There is more work to do, and I will continue to monitor performance closely to ensure improvements are being made and embedded and lead to better outcomes for victims and safer communities.
"The people of Merseyside deserve an outstanding police service. While this assessment rightly provides positive recognition of the work and dedication of Merseyside Police’s officers and staff, my focus remains firmly on continuous improvement, building public confidence and delivering the highest standards of policing for all our communities."
Chief Constable Rob Carden also welcomed the news.
He said: “We are grateful to HMICFRS for recognising the excellent work done by police officers and staff here in Merseyside every single day.
“I want to reassure our communities that achieving this rating does not mean we will be complacent. On the contrary, it acknowledges that we are already a high performing force and learning organisation committed to further improving the service we provide to the public.
“Only recently, our PEEL inspection report recognised significant strengths across the force, including an Outstanding grading for Prevention and Good gradings for Leadership and Force Management, Developing a diverse and inclusive workforce, Workforce and Public Treatment. While the inspection also identified areas where further improvement is required, HMICFRS recognised the progress already being made in these areas and the positive direction of travel across the organisation.
“The new force strategy I introduced earlier this year represents a significant part of this and is built around four objectives - Community First, Contempt for Criminality, Compassion for Victims and Care for Colleagues.
“In March, we also introduced a significant restructure designed to strengthen local accountability and improve the service delivered to communities across the region. Following extensive planning by a dedicated team, Merseyside Police moved to a geographical Basic Command Unit (BCU) model, which is a local area-based command team, bringing more responsive local policing for communities. An additional 80 officers were put into response policing, 60 additional officers into neighbourhood policing and the retention of 200 community support officers.
“I hope all of this work demonstrates that, while achieving outstanding results and the highest level in national assessments is welcome, my real focus – and the focus of officers and staff at Merseyside Police - will always be on doing everything we can to safeguard victims, bring offenders to justice and ultimately keep the people of Merseyside safe.”
For more on the Police Performance System, click here