Empowering Hertfordshire: Pioneering a Preventative Policing Paradigm and Metrics of Success

Helping Hertfordshire Constabulary embed a truly preventative approach to policing and measure success: A Leapwise Case Study

Introduction

In the HMICFRS State of Policing 2022, (1) HM Inspector of Policing Andy Cooke wrote “There are some problems that the police simply can’t investigate their way out of… the service must view prevention as the core of all policing activity.”  Prevention and effective demand management and waste reduction, such as preventing rework, are increasingly being prioritised by all forces to optimise costs and manage demand.  

The Challenge

Since 2020, Hertfordshire Constabulary had been embedding its “Prevention First” policy, driven by CC Charlie Hall and PCC David Lloyd.  There had been sustained and strategic investment in Prevention First, and Hertfordshire was perceived as a national leader through visible senior leadership, and its Prevention Academy. All officers had been through problem solving and prevention training through the Academy, with strong learner satisfaction.  

Hertfordshire Constabulary and the OPCC wanted to accelerate progress and be able to demonstrate that ‘prevention works’, in order to: 

• bring about a cultural mindset shift for all officers and staff, making prevention part of day-to-day policing 
• ensure that preventative projects delivered measurable results, and all projects and partnerships were designed with prevention in mind 
• start shaping future strategy and resource allocation further towards a Prevention First approach 

Our Approach

Leapwise worked with Hertfordshire to accelerate delivery and measure the success of Prevention First through: 

1. A stock-take and ambition-setting exercise with interviews and a Chief Officer / OPCC away day 
2. The development of a Prevention Roadmap, which set out 6 building blocks and actions the force will take to progress change. 
3. Developing a ‘Prevention Index’ to measure progress on Prevention First and its impact for the constabulary 
4. Creating a “force totaliser” approach to better estimate the impact of prevention initiatives in advance, and then ensure planned benefits were delivered (i.e. stronger benefits management) 

This work took place against a backdrop of significant change across the constabulary, including a Force Organisational Review and a review of performance management.   

Having set the ambition through the stock-take process, we worked with Hertfordshire to identify six Building Blocks for change – areas where shifts were needed to fully embed Prevention First, and co-designed a set of actions against each area to be progressed and tracked. Building Blocks are aligned with NPCC Prevention strategy and with Hertfordshire’s own organisational approach, and were: 

1. Leadership and Culture 
2. Partnerships 
3. Data and digital transformation 
4. Resourcing and internal efficiencies 
5. Projects and prevention activity 
6. Workforce 

We then worked with the constabulary to develop a ‘force totaliser’ approach to benefits management to capture the benefits of prevention. We advised that all projects should assess their impact in terms of crime harm prevented, crime-fighter hours freed up, and wider benefits (for example, for victim outcomes, crime outcomes or cashable savings).  

Finally, we developed an index and dashboard measurement for measuring the success of prevention initiatives and interventions, validating performance against MSG forces. This work clearly showed that, while it is impossible to fully attributed differences purely to Prevention First, Hertfordshire has seen much greater progress in keeping crime low than similar forces.  

Results

“Leapwise… have given us a sharper focus on how to design and then deliver the organisational changes being planned over the next two years … to develop and take forward the work on prevention, (which is recognised by NPCC and HMICFRS as national good practice).”

– Chief Constable Charlie Hall, Hertfordshire Constabulary 

Through this monitoring and measurement approach, Hertfordshire Constabulary were pleased to be able to demonstrate encouraging results which could reasonably be attributed to prevention. Their plans for change are now more holistic – covering the six building blocks of change. And they are embedding the new measurement and benefits management approach for future projects and policing initiatives.  

The challenge of building a more data-driven and preventative approach should not be underestimated, of course. In policing, there is daily pressure to respond to crises and the national and local events that buffet policing. All forces can, however, learn from the successes and challenges Hertfordshire has faced as they implement a bold strategic approach. 

We have worked on prevention strategies and initiatives in multiple police forces, wider criminal justice and local government.  

For more insights on effective prevention within your organisation, please reach out to our team to discuss.