As part of its overarching responsibility to secure an efficient and effective police service, the Police Authority carefully monitors the performance of Dorset Police both in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Key policing objectives and targets are set for the Police by both the Home Secretary and the Police Authority following consultation with local people. These are outlined in the annual policing plan and three year strategic plan which includes the agreed policing priorities as well as a number of challenging performance targets.  In the interests of securing best value, we also oversee the Force’s continuous improvement arrangements. 

In this section of our website you will find details of the single top-down public confidence target for the police service recently introduced by the Government and information on how the police and its partners are working together to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour.

The section also includes the main performance reports for the Force which include the latest crime figures along with other force statistics such as sickness levels, call handling and public satisfaction.  More detailed performance reports in areas such as Human Resources and Professional Standards can also be viewed here. 

The Authority’s Audit Resources and Continuous Improvement Committee regularly receives reports from key internal and external organisations which have reviewed the Force’s arrangements, operations and outcomes.  These include Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) which performs an important role in monitoring the work of the Force on behalf of the Home Secretary and the Authority and the Inspectorate work closely together to ensure that necessary improvements highlighted by the Inspectorate are addressed by the Force.  Other relevant bodies include reviews undertaken by the Home Office and by the Authority’s internal and external auditors and reports from these bodies can be found in this section.