Improving our response to serious and organised crime

Avon and Somerset Police welcomes the report of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICF&RS) into how police services in the south west tackle serious and organised crime (SOC).

It’s heartening that the inspectors recognised Avon and Somerset’s efforts to improve how we manage our response to SOC.

Since the inspection last summer, 2024, we have put in place and acted on an improvement plan including:

• Boosting specialist staff numbers.
• Improving initial and on-the-job training and putting support networks in place.
• Developing a new strategic assessment.
• Updating our intelligence profiles at local authority level.
• Putting panels in place at local authority level to ensure we’re working with partners to disrupt and divert people from crime.
• Finding innovative ways to introduce specialist skills by recruiting volunteers with private sector experience to support complex financial investigations.

While finding that Avon and Somerset Police “require improvement”, the report recognises our use of preventative legislation through the courts, such as anti-slavery and trafficking risk orders and serious crime prevention orders.

Chief Superintendent Jane Wigmore, Head of Crime, said: “We are committed to protecting our communities from the effects of organised crime, especially keeping vulnerable people safe from exploitation.

“We’ve already invested in personnel, IT, training and support but recognise there is more to be done.

“We continue to build on our positive working relationships with colleagues in the other four local forces and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.”