DEVON and Cornwall Police are just one of 12 forces in the UK which requires improvement after a Home Office ‘effectiveness’ inspection of all 43 constabularies.

Some 30 forces were deemed good while just one - Durham - was declared outstanding. None was found to be inadequate.

In the four categories under scrutiny by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate in 2017, the two-counties force earned a ‘good’ rating for its crime prevention and dealing with serious and organised crime.

But it fell short in categories of investigation and vulnerability which relate to ways of reducing crime and keeping people safe.

Its overall judgement was one of ‘requires improvement’ - a tag given to just 11 other forces.

The inspector’s report, issued today/last week (march 22), said Devon and Cornwall’s performance in some areas had deteriorated since 2016 – but in others it had made positive progress.

‘Overall, the force correctly concentrates its resources both on higher risk victims and on the most harmful offenders as it tackles crime,’ said the report.

It added that the two counties had clear priorities to reduce harm and protect the most vulnerable.

‘However, some of the force’s IT systems and processes do not always work as well as they could and get in the way of protecting the public,’ revealed the report which acknowledged that plans were afoot to make improvements.

Devon and Cornwall’s neighbourhood policing arrangements were well established together with effective partnerships with other agencies, but it needed a more structured approach to how it managed and solved community-based problems. Again, efforts were being made to redress the issues.

The report recognised that the force, like others in the UK, was experiencing a rising demand on its resources.

And this was undermining the quality of some investigations.

‘This is also increasing pressure on the workforce and causing gaps in some aspects of policy adherence. In response the force is redesigning its crime-recording and crime-management processes,’ the report observed.

It added: ‘We found delays in the examination of digital devices, and this is affecting the quality of some investigations. Procedures for tracking and arresting wanted criminals also need to improve.’

The report also found that Devon and Cornwall needed to provide better support to officers and staff investigating crimes with vulnerable victims.

‘The force needs to improve its understanding of the way it protects some victims of domestic abuse, including the use of legal powers to people at risk.

‘Similarly, body-worn video cameras are not yet used widely by all operational officers which means that opportunities to gather evidence might be missed.’

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, commenting on the report, felt the observations made were ‘mostly positive.’

He insisted: ‘I am firmly committed to ensuring the most vulnerable and those needing the most dedicated police support in a time of need get the service they deserve.’

And he promised: ‘We have to focus our resources to ensure threat, risk and harm are our core considerations with victims at the forefront of everything we do.’