The first three PEEL inspections for 2025 are out. In the last week or two, HMICFRS have reported on overall performance for Bedfordshire, Cheshire, and Avon and Somerset police forces. The results are mixed.
As an aspiring police leader, it’s important for you to be familiar with such information as part of your strategic awareness. Not least because there’s plenty to be working with when you put yourself forward to be part of the solution, steering your force to improvement.
So in this quick blog I share with you my recent summaries I put together, picking out the key highlights for each force. I’ll also remind you of what PEEL inspections are all about (including some upcoming changes) and the leadership CPD available as you seek to progress through the ranks.
PEEL Police Performance
PEEL inspections are the main means by which His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assess overall police performance. The word ‘PEEL’ stands for Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy.
Forces are inspected once every couple of years or so, then HMIC publish a rounded report against various themes. In essence, they grade forces on various factors, then identify where specifically the force must make improvements or where it has observed good practice. See my dedicated prior blogs to read more about the PEEL inspections and how they originate from the 200 year Peelian Principles.
We are currently in what HMIC define as their 2023-25 inspection cycle. But changes are afoot. They’ve already consulted on their next iteration of the inspection framework, which is planned for 2025-29. Overall, the changes seem minor, while there remains great overlap with the existing scheme.
The above chart demonstrates how forces compare in terms of an ‘average score’ across their latest 2023-25 inspection, ranging from 0 for ‘Inadequate’ gradings to 4 for ‘Outstanding’.
How is your force doing? Do you want to be part of the solution?
Behind these results are the specific areas HMIC identify for improvement or are doing well. The following are the perennial issues where forces commonly perform poorly, being graded on average as ‘requiring improvement’ in these PEEL inspections:
- Service to Victims
- Investigation of Crime
- Responding to the Public
Preventing crime and treating the public fairly are themes at which forces tend to do better.
Across my free blogs, premium podcasts, and in-depth promotion toolkits, I provide tools and techniques for your leadership CPD on each of these areas (and more). The aim is to help you improve your police leadership skills, become a better promotion candidate, while enabling you to communicate your evidence confidently in your police promotion selection process (e.g. interview panel, presentation task or briefing exercise).
I’ve been tracking and summarising for you most forces’ results for several years now. This helps connect aspiring cops with what’s important to their Chief Officers (which often then features in promotion boards). See for example my dedicated YouTube PEEL playlist, now at nearly 70 videos. These include key stats about and priorities of your own force, highlights from the reports, changes over time, and where you can contribute to a brighter future.
With this background and overview, let’s now look at a trio of force reports published so far in 2025…
Avon and Somerset Decline, Need Improvements
Published last week, Avon and Somerset’s PEEL report identifies numerous areas for improvement with mixed results elsewhere.
“I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Avon and Somerset Constabulary in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service. But there are areas in which the constabulary needs to improve.” – Michelle Skeer, HM Inspector of Constabulary
Above is a 3-minute summary of the 50-page report for busy cops (and others) just wanting the gist of things. Avon & Somerset are the second largest force in the Southwest, with a budget nearing £400 million (from around £300 million five years ago), servicing 1.2 million public calls/contacts with its 3,300 police officers and 3,000 other staff.
Commenting on their report, Assistant Chief Constable Will White said:
“We welcome this report, the commentary from inspectors that we’re open and willing to learn and especially their praise for the way we engage with and treat the public.”
Starting with the positives, A&S were graded ‘Good’ in the following areas:
- Police powers and treating the public fairly and respectfully.
- Preventing and deterring crime and ASB, and reducing vulnerability.
Four specific instances of good or promising practice were identified by HMIC, including the force’s use of vehicle telematics and a women’s safety ‘Walk and Talk’ pilot.
But overall, the force has steadily declined from its 2020 and 2022 PEEL reports. A&S requires improvement in responding to the public, crime investigation, protecting vulnerable people, managing offenders/suspects, and its leadership and force management. Compared to other forces, it is now slightly below average.
As an aspiring police promotion candidate, this is all great stuff to get your teeth into and consider what evidence you have ready for your interview. Maybe even expect a promotion presentation scenario along the lines of:
“As a new Inspector how will you drive up investigation standards and improve outcomes for victims in Avon and Somerset?”
Bedfordshire Police Performance Adequate
Bedfordshire’s 2025 PEEL assessment was published late in January, with performance middling compared to other forces. Most of its thematic gradings are assessed as ‘Adequate’. This report however showed a decline since its good report published in 2022.
“I am satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Bedfordshire Police in keeping people safe and reducing crime. But there are areas the force needs to improve.” – Roy Wilsher, HM Inspector of Constabulary
Bedfordshire is one of England’s smaller forces, having a £149m budget this year (£120m in 2020/21). Beds Police has just under 1,500 officers and 1,100 staff/PCSOs to deal with its 250k calls and 50k crimes.
The force was graded ‘Good’ for how it records data about crime and ‘Inadequate’ for its investigation of crime. All else was graded as ‘Adequate’. However, as an aspiring promotion candidate there’s plenty to get your teeth into, which I summarise in the video above for you.
Commenting on the report, Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst KPM focused on the positives, saying:
“The PEEL inspections are a great way to assess how we are performing and identify areas for improvement. This report makes clear that Bedfordshire is a well-led force, which is on the front foot despite our financial challenges.”
Cheshire Police Improve, Performing Well
In their 2025 report published just last week, Cheshire Police came top of the pile, with the Chief Officers pleased as punch (potentially smiling like Cheshire cats).
“I congratulate Cheshire Constabulary on its excellent performance in keeping people safe, reducing crime and giving victims an effective service.” – Michelle Skeer, HM Inspector of Constabulary
Cheshire is one of the medium-sized forces in England and Wales, with a budget of £289m (£216m in 2019/20) paying for a total workforce of 4,000, of which 2,400 are officers, and servicing 0.5m annual calls/contacts from its 1.1m population.
The force had no broad themes graded as ‘Requiring Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’. However, there’s still recommendations that you as an aspiring police leader can contribute to, which I outline in the video embedded above. Compliance with the Victims’ Code is one such important area for improvement to note.
Most inspection themes were graded ‘Good’, with ‘Outstanding’ ratings for protecting vulnerable people and managing offenders and suspects. This was also a significant improvement on this force’s middling performance in 2022.
Commenting on the report and commending his force, Chief Constable Mark Roberts said:
“I welcome the outcomes of the report and must firstly commend our officers and staff, whose efforts have secured these outstanding results and highlight their dedication to ensuring Cheshire remains a hostile place for criminals.”
Your Promotion and Leadership CPD
Concentrating on such landmark reports bespoke to your force enhances your strategic awareness and demonstrates your knowledge of your force’s specific operating context. This will massively enhance your odds of success in any promotion selection process.
If you want long-term leadership CPD, don’t be sporadic; invest in your future with my regularly updated podcast. And if time is of the essence for an upcoming promotion process, or you just want to get ahead of the game and prepare comprehensively for your opportunity, there’s nothing else like my rank-specific premium toolkits to supercharge your career progression prospects.
I hope you’ve found these report summaries helpful food for thought and let me know your views in the comments. I wish you the very best with both improving yourself and applying that to improving things in your force.
Kind Regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want a MASSIVE head start right now? Hit the ground running with your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass. There’s nothing else like it to effectively prepare you for success in your leadership aspirations. You can also contact me to arrange more personal coaching support. Or try my podcast for your ongoing police leadership CPD covering a range of fascinating subjects.