Nottinghamshire Police force put into special measures by watchdog

The force in the East Midlands to see an “enhanced level of monitoring”

Nottinghamshire Police’s chief constable Kate Meynell (PA Archive)

Nottinghamshire Police has been asked to “urgently produce an improvement plan” after being put into special measures by a watchdog.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which scrutinises the performance of forces across England and Wales, announced the change on Monday.

The force in the East Midlands will see an “enhanced level of monitoring” under what is known as the “engage” process.

Valdo Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after killing three in Nottingham last year (PA Media)

The watchdog said Nottinghamshire Police “needs to improve how it manages and carries out effective investigations, and make sure that victims get the support they need”.

It added the force “doesn’t have adequate processes, planning or governance arrangements in place to monitor performance effectively or identify areas where improvement is required”.

Inspector of constabulary Roy Wilsher said: “We move police forces into our enhanced level of monitoring, known as engage, when a force is not responding to our concerns, or if it is not managing, mitigating or eradicating these concerns.

“The engage process provides additional scrutiny and support from the inspectorate and other external organisations in the policing sector to help the force improve and provide a better service for the public.

“Nottinghamshire Police has been asked to urgently produce an improvement plan and will meet regularly with our inspectors. We will work closely with the force to monitor its progress against these important and necessary changes.”

The reasons behind the decision to put the force into special measures are set to be included in the latest inspection report, which is due to be published later this year.

It comes after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which oversees police complaints, and the College of Policing announced last month they have both launched an investigation into the force’s contact with triple killer Valdo Calocane before his brutal stabbing rampage.

Students Barnaby Webber, centre, and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, right, both aged 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, left, 65, were all victims of the attack (PA Media)

The paranoid schizophrenic, 32, was sentenced to a hospital order at Nottingham Crown Court after he was convicted of stabbing two 19-year-old students and a school caretaker in Nottingham in June last year.

The IOPC, which is also investigating Leicestershire Police, previously said its investigation follows a voluntary referral by Nottinghamshire Police after complaints from the victims’ families.

The complaints allege there were “flaws in the handling of the murder investigation and missed opportunities by police to prevent the killings”.

The mother of one of the victims said she had “lost faith” in the force’s leadership, and called for the chief constable to step aside.