Police Data

Norfolk Constabulary 999 Call Performance Data (2023)

Norfolk Constabulary 999 Call Performance Data (2022)

Norfolk Constabulary 999 Call Performance Data (2021)

Norfolk Constabulary: Summary of National Crime and Policing Measures 

Priority area: Reduce Murder and Homicide

Supplementary Comment

The specialist Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team are responsible for investigating all homicides. There has been a 500% increase of all Homicide offences over the most recent 12 months when compared to the previous 12 months. When compared against the 2019 baseline, there has been a 14% decrease. The offence of Murder only shows an increase of 500% over the most recent 12 months when compared to the previous 12 months, with a 20% increase when compared against the 2019 baseline.

When looking at Homicide offences, the following was found:

• Three of the Murders are linked to the same incident.
• There are no concerning trends of note that would indicate an emerging issue.
• Of the four potential measures used by the Home Office to indicate whether force trends are of particular concern, Norfolk Constabulary has not breached any of these areas for homicide offences.

Priority area: Reduce Serious Violence

Supplementary Comment

Norfolk has seen a 14% increase in all Violence with Injury compared with the 2019 baseline and a 5% decrease when compared to the previous 12-months. Grievous Bodily Harm has seen an increase of 34% when compared to the 2019 baseline, and a 1% decrease when compared to the previous 12-months. An 11% decrease against the 2019 baseline for Actual Bodily Harm can be seen, and an 11% decrease in this offence when compared to the previous 12-months.

In this reporting period 37% of all violence with injury was domestic abuse related. The Constabulary has been working with partners through the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Delivery Group (DASVG) to agree a set of minimum standards for Domestic Abuse training for all responsible authorities and other organisations that deliver training in Norfolk. A partnership dashboard provides analysis of why some areas are more affected by domestic abuse than others, with consideration for how to respond to these issues on a locality basis. The dashboard is continually reviewed within the DASVG, ensuring that it is meaningful and is providing insight against strategic priorities.  Norfolk has a well-established Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and effective partnership arrangements to safeguard vulnerable victims.

The Constabulary is committed to increasing the number of offenders brought to justice for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) offences. This has included the implementation of the national Operation Soteria principles with associated training delivered to Investigators.

To support the response for reducing serious violence there has been considerable effort in providing training to officers to improve the service they deliver to victim and to improve their understanding of trauma, to increase their awareness of the importance of the voice of the child, to improve evidence-gathering opportunities, to increase convictions through evidence-led prosecutions, and to increase the use of ancillary orders to protect the public and vulnerable victims.

In this reporting period the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership has delivered a thematic learning review into the case of a murdered young person who was involved in serious youth violence. The process included all safeguarding partners and the young person’s family, drawing on all involved to highlight areas for improvement and areas of good practice. Learning points are being delivered through a multi-agency Vulnerable Adolescence Strategy.

The Constabulary monitors the highest harm repeat victims, offenders, and locations through a monthly Tactical Tasking Co-ordination Group. This process, as well other suspect focussed activity, is supporting improvements to the way we reduce victimisation and prevent further offending.

Priority area: Disrupt drugs supply and County Lines

Supplementary Comment

The 12-month period ending June 2024 has seen a decrease of 26% (-134 offences) in drug trafficking offences when compared to the previous 12-months. There has been a 37% (-221 offences) decrease when compared to the 2019 baseline.

Each County Line is assessed using a scoring matrix, which attributes a score based on the level of threat they are believed to pose.  This considers a range of factors including threats or use of violence, and child criminal exploitation. Those higher risk lines are graded as Tier 1, which take precedence for investigation and enforcement ahead of lower scoring Tier 2 lines. The number of identified active County Lines constantly fluctuates and is affected by factors other than police activity. 

The volume of County Lines that have been closed remains relatively stable when comparing the current 12-month period with the year prior. By the end of March 2024, 163 County Lines had been closed and 178 people had been charged in connection with running drug supply lines in Norfolk since the inception of the County Lines team in 2020. Certain lines are more difficult to attribute to a controlling subject or subjects depending on their mode of operation. Whilst some lines can be identified and enforced on very quickly, others require a sustained period of evidence gathering before charges can be brought. 

Development work regularly highlights new County Lines operating in Norfolk or the re-emergence of previously known lines. This presents opportunities to understand how the line operates and to evidence who the subjects controlling the supply of drugs are. A proportionate rise in the number of lines known to be operating would not therefore necessarily be a negative indicator.

A total of over 500 years of prison sentences have been handed out by court judges in Norfolk since the inception of the County Lines team. Drugs, cash, and weapons are regularly being recovered during enforcement activity, and cash seizures exceeding £180,000 have occurred in the four years of the County Lines’ team’s operation.

Priority area: Reduce neighbourhood crime

Supplementary Comment

All Neighbourhood Crime’ has seen a decrease of 40% (-2,476 offences) when compared against the 2019 baseline. When compared to the previous 12-month period, ‘All Neighbourhood Crime’ has decreased by 3% (-94 offences). Residential Burglary has seen a 4% increase (+50 offences), with Robbery recording no change. Robbery is a crime group that reduced in volume during the pandemic and is still considerably lower than pre-pandemic levels. All remaining Neighbourhood measures have seen a decrease when compared to 2019 baseline and against the previous 12-month period.

Neighbourhood priority setting processes are well-embedded across the county to ensure that local crime and anti-social behaviour priorities are identified, partnership problem-solving approaches are adopted, and activity is reported back to the public in a timely manner to provide reassurance to communities.

The Community Safety Department Problem Solving team works alongside local Neighbourhood Policing Teams to develop and deliver problem solving approaches to crime and anti-social behaviour issues. Neighbourhood policing activity data collection and analysis is being developed in line with the national Neighbourhood Policing Performance Framework that has been published by the National Police Chief’s Council, with new metrics being added each month.

The Community Safety Department Superintendent meets each month with representatives from each policing District to review themes that are impacting on the neighbourhood policing response across the county, including engagement, problem solving, training, priority setting, responses for antisocial behaviour, and data capture/reporting.

Funding has been obtained for additional marketing of proactive neighbourhood policing approaches on electronic advertising boards outside Carrow Road Football Stadium and Chantry Place Shopping Centre in Norwich. Funding has also been secured for a new operation which is targeting antisocial behaviour hotspots. The response utilises a range of policing resources including the Special Constabulary, Beat Managers, and Response Officers to patrol areas that have been identified through analysis as being the most vulnerable areas for antisocial behaviour.

Priority area: Improve satisfaction among victims - with a particular focus on victims of domestic abuse

Supplementary Comment

When compared against the 2019 baseline, Norfolk has seen a 2-percentage point increase in victim satisfaction rates, with an increase of 1-percentage point when compared against the previous 12-month figure.

Norfolk Constabulary utilises Rapid Video Response (RVR) to support victims of domestic abuse. RVR sees reports being taken through video meetings held with victims where the risk level indicates that this response is appropriate and safe. The caller is given an appointment to speak with a specialist trained officer by video at a time and day suitable to them. RVR was first launched in October 2022 as a pilot, and since its inception over 2800 consultations have been completed. Victim satisfaction with the service is high, with survey responses consistently showing a satisfaction rate of 4.8 out of 5, with 83% of respondents in June 2024 indicating that they would use the service again if they had to report a similar matter. RVR has now  transitioned to a ‘business as usual’ status and is sitting within the Contact and Control Room (CCR) Command environment. In 2023/24, 1518 consultations were held, which equates to seven percent of overall Domestic Abuse demand received by the Constabulary, and 21 percent of Grade B2 priority non-emergency domestic demand. The use of technology to provide a virtual response for other types of demand outside of the domestic arena is being explored as a pilot in Norwich District, with scoping ongoing to understand which digital platform is best suited to provide this service.

In this reporting period the Operation Investigate team have continued to support professional development training for frontline officers and wider policing teams. Training inputs have focused on increasing officer awareness and understanding of trauma, promoting the importance of the voice of the child, maximising evidence-gathering opportunities, achieving increased convictions through evidence led-prosecutions, and encouraging the increased use of ancillary orders to protect the public and vulnerable victims. All training is delivered with the objective of improving victim service and satisfaction by ensuring that investigations are victim focused, and that the best possible outcomes are achieved.

Our Special Measures Advisor (SMA), recruited in October 2022, continues to work with vulnerable victims to improve their criminal justice experiences, particularly around court appearances and giving evidence. The post has been funded until March 2025 and it is hoped that the budget can be found to fund the role on a permanent basis within the Victim & Witness Service team. Between 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024 the SMA reviewed 165 cases and contacted 188 victims. This included 10 RaSSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) victims, 73 victims of Domestic Abuse related offences, and 13 victims of Hate Crime. 45 Special Measures applications were made in the same period to support victims when attending court and giving evidence.

Appendix:

Homicide

Consists of the following offence types: Murder, Manslaughter (including corporate) and Infanticide.

Violence with injury

Following the release of further clarification around the National Crime and Policing Measures (NCPM), the crime category of 'violence with injury' has been used as a measure of serious violence. This differs to the figures released in the previous Specified Information Order and all baselines have been adjusted to reflect that. Violence with injury consists of the following:

• Assault with injury
• Assault with Injury on a Constable
• Assault with Injury On An Emergency Worker (Other Than A Constable)
• Assault with intent to cause serious harm
• Attempted Murder
• Cause of Allow Death or Serious Physical Harm to Child or Vulnerable Person
• Causing Death by careless or inconsiderate driving
• Causing Death or Serious Injury by Dangerous Driving
• Endangering Life
• Intentional Destruction of a Viable Unborn Child
• Racially or Religiously Aggravated Assault with Injury

A further focus on Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) and Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) shows key trends in more detail.

Neighbourhood crime

Consists of the following offences: Residential Burglary (dwelling and non-dwelling), Vehicle Crime (theft of, interference with and theft from vehicle), Robbery, Theft from person.

Cyber crime

Non police data not yet available.

Drug trafficking

Crime consists of offences that relate to the supply of drugs as opposed to the possession of drugs.

Satisfaction

Calculated using responses that indicate the victim was either ‘Completely Satisfied’, ‘Very Satisfied’ or ‘Fairly Satisfied’.

Note on crime recording standards:

The Home Office sets the comprehensive guidance rules around the reporting standards on crime for the police.

You can find out more about the standards of crime by visiting the Government website

The implementation of these standards in Norfolk Constabulary are audited periodically by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). 

Norfolk Constabulary has worked hard since its HMICFRS inspection in 2020 on crime recording to ensure issues reported to police are properly assessed and recorded.  This step change in working practices means that direct comparisons of crime data with those years prior to 2021 compares different standards of approach