THAMES Valley Police (TVP) has been told the force 'requires improvement' for inquiries into low level crime.

Following a recent inspection, the force has received a rating of 'Good' for overall performance.

Police watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that while effectiveness at keeping people safe was 'good', the force requires improvement when it comes to investigating crime and reducing reoffending.

The report states: 'Serious crime is investigated well, but the investigation of less complex crime needs to improve.

'The force closes some investigations too early, it doesn’t record victim contract details consistently, and supervision is not always effective.

'Investigators experience delays in receiving forensic evidence and evidence from electronic devices.'

Jason Hogg, deputy chief constable, said: “I welcome the findings of HMICFRS and their confirmation that the force has been graded as ‘Good’ overall across the three areas of focus within their inspection: Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy.

“We have already taken steps to address the issues raised during the inspection.

"We are working hard to improve the quality of our investigations to ensure that we can provide justice for victims and an excellent quality of care in how we support victims through the criminal justice process. "HMICFRS has acknowledged that they are encouraged by the action we are starting to take.

"We have already recruited additional skilled investigators and have increased the number of digital technicians to handle the ever-growing volume of digital evidence."

Inspectors also noted that the force is good at protecting vulnerable people and works well with partner agencies to achieve this.

The inspectors found that the force continues to be outstanding in how it uses its resources to meet current demand and has a good understanding of trends in demand and the impact of changing technology.

The report shows that the force is good at treating the public fairly but notes that the historical vetting backlog is a cause for concern and that the force should take steps to ensure that officers and staff are aware of how to raise ethical issues.

Anthony Stansfeld, police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “We are pleased that Thames Valley Police has been rated ‘Good’ by HMICFRS.

"It is testament to the hard work which has taken place and continues to progress.

"I was particularly pleased that HMICFRS found the force to be outstanding in the way it uses its resources to meet current demand.

"In the period of cuts to policing this has enabled TVP to continue providing an excellent service to the public.

"It reflects particularly well on the way TVP has been managed over this difficult period.

"Of course, we will continue to focus on areas which need improvement and we welcome the suggestions which have been made in the report.

"The recent announcement that we will be getting hundreds of new police officers will also have a positive impact and will support these improvements.

"Our priority is to support our local communities in any way we can and we are delighted that the HMICFRS has recognised this."