The result of the new method of inspection was released by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) today and highlighted several areas of success for the county force.
However it also pointed to some aspects of policing – particularly ar
ound robbery and burglary – which still needed improvement. Zoe Billingham, inspector for Northamptonshire, said: "Northamptonshire Police's performance is generally sound.
"The force can point to some strong areas of performance. In neighbourhoods, the safer community teams are visible to the public and have been boosted with 40 extra officers.
"The levels of public confidence and satisfaction in the police have improved over the last year. Drug trafficking has been reduced and the force is better at solving serious sexual offences than similar forces.
"The level of violent crime in Northamptonshire is generally lower than in similar forces and more of these crimes are solved."
But she added: "Challenges and risks to public safety remain. The proportion of robberies and vehicle crimes solved is below that of peer forces.
"Burglary and robbery rates were increasing up until September 2009, particularly in and around Northampton and Daventry. The policing area covering these towns is one of the worst performing when compared with other similar places."
The force was judged to have a good presence in the community, but had comparatively poor satisfaction rates among black and minority ethnic people.
Chief Constable Adrian Lee called the inspection's report "a good starting position". He said: "It shows we are fair across the board and that we are meeting standards. But the strategy for the force is to build trust and confidence in communities and to do that we need to be performing at a level that is good and excellent.
"While this says we are in a safe place and meeting standards it isn't delivering the excellence I would like and that's the challenge moving on."
Mr Lee said the force's poor rating for burglary and robbery had been a reason behind the launch of the high profile Operation Guardian, and reassured the public it was having the desired effect, with offences down more than 19 per cent this year.
