Michelle Skeer said too many police forces in England and Wales are still failing at crime investigation basics and victim service, with 13 forces in the latest assessment cycle all missing a good or outstanding rating for investigating crime. She said there are still areas where performance is not good enough, even as policing faces more complex cases and pressure on local units.
The HMIC report said the latest 13 forces assessed also fell short on safe and lawful custody, and that many forces still were not getting the basics right or giving the public a consistently good service in the areas that matter most to victims. HMIC inspects all 43 police forces in England and Wales on a two-year cycle, so the findings cover only part of the wider system but point to a recurring problem across it.
Michelle Skeer and HMIC
Skeer, the interim HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, was appointed in March 2026. She called it “a pivotal moment for policing” and said reform presents a significant opportunity to deliver a better service for both the public and those working within policing if it is managed correctly.
The report said the greatest strength of policing is its workforce, and it described the vast majority of officers as showing professionalism and courage. That sits alongside a harder finding: many forces still struggle with gathering evidence, identifying and progressing lines of inquiry, and keeping victims updated on their cases.
Victims and the 13 forces
Michelle Skeer said too many victims were not receiving the quality of service they should expect. The report also highlighted delays in handling emergency and non-emergency calls and in response times to incidents, along with concerns about safeguarding victims, including inconsistencies in recognising vulnerability and failures to properly deploy resources when people were reported missing.
The 13 forces assessed in the current cycle were Merseyside, Cumbria, Devon & Cornwall, Suffolk, Staffordshire, Thames Valley, West Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire, Humberside and Kent. None received a good or outstanding rating for investigating crime or providing a safe and lawful custody environment.
National Police Service plans
The report said evolving crime and threats are leaving officers with more complex and resource-intensive cases. Against that backdrop, the government's planned reforms include creating a National Police Service to take over counter-terror and fraud investigations, which Skeer said could alleviate some of the pressure facing local units.
Sarah Jones said the plans will tackle the long-term challenges in the policing system and bring it into the modern day. She said, “We are investing in more neighbourhood policing, raising standards and making better use of technology to make sure local policing works for local people.”
The report leaves one practical question at the center of the reform debate: how soon, and in what exact form, the proposed National Police Service will be introduced.
