Chief Constable Responds to Concerns Raised in Police Inspection Report
Written by HFM News on 5th June 2026
Northamptonshire Police’s chief constable says there is “no hiding away” from concerns raised in a new inspection report.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has highlighted shortcomings in the force’s crime investigation procedures and found its performance in achieving positive outcomes for victims has not improved since the last inspection.
The report identified crime investigations as a formal cause for concern, with just 11.2 per cent of crimes resulting in a positive outcome for victims as of September 2025. The force has been given six months to implement improvements.
However, inspectors also praised Northamptonshire Police in a number of areas, including the fair use of police powers, recruitment of diverse staff and innovative safeguarding and community engagement projects.
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet acknowledged the findings but said he remained confident improvements could be made.
He said: “There is no hiding away from the findings around investigations, but I remain absolutely confident in our vision and strategy to drive up performance.”
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet
Northamptonshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Danielle Stone, described the findings as “troubling” and said victims deserved a better service.
She said investigating crime was one of policing’s fundamental roles and had asked the chief constable to improve standards as quickly as possible.
The inspectorate’s report also recognised progress in areas including emergency call handling, oversight of stop and search, and the use of force.
