KPMG’s partnership with Bedfordshire Police on the implementation of a new operating model is helping to achieve a dramatic turnaround in performance and raise confidence.
With budget cuts and threat of intervention from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) the force was trying to find ways of doing more with less, despite falling productivity and efficiency.
KPMG involvement successfully assured HMIC on the robustness of Bedfordshire’s transformation plan. Having bought breathing space, the joint team set about making major changes to the force’s structure and ways of working.
KPMG focused on three main areas: improving decision making on incident attendance and crime investigation; putting more police officers into communities to improve investigation quality; and giving individual officers the skills to carry a case from initial arrest through to court – ushering in a new era of ‘omni-competent’ officers. The approach was heavily focussed on co-designing all elements, the iterative process required senior officer involvement and ownership of solutions.
By gaining a better understanding of demand patterns, the entire shift policy was re-oriented to provide the right officers in the right place at the right time. These changes have significantly accelerated response times, improved crime investigation outcomes and victim satisfaction.
As a result of the programme, Bedfordshire Police are now better able to protect the public and fight crime, while effectively meeting their short-term financial pressures. The threat of HMIC intervention has been lifted, and the force has renewed belief in in its ability to make positive changes.