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A string of shocking failures at Cleveland Police - including inappropriate behaviour at a senior level, a failure to protect victims and a lack of leadership - have been revealed in a bombshell report.

A review by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service on Friday has laid bare a litany of failings at the troubled force.

Cleveland has become the first ever to be rated “inadequate” in all key areas.

Among inspectors key findings were:

Cleveland Police is failing to prevent crime

It is not investigating cases properly

It is putting vulnerable adults and children at risk

The Peel report also found the force didn’t have enough trained staff to properly investigate crimes, that the force didn’t treat the public fairly and it was not protecting the public properly.

It added senior leaders were “not consistently demonstrating ethical behaviour” - with those in chief officer ranks and senior police staff managers “not acting as positive role models”.

Officers in senior roles were found to be giving the Chief Constable untrustworthy information - and that the force still needed to work on how it tackles corruption.

(Image: Ian Cooper / Teesside Live)

The scathing 70-page report said there were too many examples of leaders not taking responsibility, not acting with honesty, integrity and competence, and apportioning blame.

It said: “Force leaders blame others – including the force’s private providers – for their own failings.

Among the most damning criticism came from the force’s own workforce.

One worker said the force was: “‘Directionless, rudderless and clueless.’

Other comments included: “We are being given no clear direction”.

“‘No-one seems to have a clue what we are doing’.

“‘Senior leaders are basically missing’.”

Inspectors visited the force in May.

Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said the inappropriate behaviour of senior leaders was so profound that it was affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

He added that the force’s performance had “declined considerably” since it was last monitored - branding its decline “extremely worrying”.

(Image: Teesside Live)

Mr Gormley said: “The force doesn’t appropriately prioritise crime prevention.

“There is a lack of strategic direction, and the force doesn’t allocate enough resources to prevention work.

“Staff who carry out prevention work lack an understanding of the priorities they should be tackling.

“It is failing to respond appropriately to vulnerable people, including children. It is missing opportunities to safeguard them and exposing them to risk.

“Cleveland Police doesn’t adequately understand the demand it faces.”

The probe also revealed most staff at the force were happy to voice concerns but didn’t feel listened to.

And the level of complaints sent to the force were “significantly higher” than other forces - with 460 allegations per 1,000 officers compared to the England and Wales average of 271 per 1,000.

The report added: “The main complaints are incivility, impoliteness and intolerance, lack of fairness and impartiality, oppressive conduct or harassment, and discriminatory behaviour.

“The force acknowledges this problem.”

Mr Gormley said he’d been in regular contact with Cleveland’s Chief Constable Richard Lewis following the inspection.

Chief Con Lewis took over in April and said the criticism would be a “line in the sand”.

He said improvements had already been made and he’d take responsibility for making changes “that are so obviously needed”.

The chief added: “The inspection details a number of fundamental failings and we accept these without reservation.

“We are clear about where responsibility lies - namely with Cleveland Police.”

Chief Con Lewis said he’d met exceptional officers and staff in his five months at the force - seeing lives saved and vulnerable people protected.

But he added “crucial areas” needed urgent improvement - and that work was already starting to put prevention of crime front and centre.

Chief Con Lewis has overseen an overhaul of the force’s top team with an old hand in Ian Arundale appointed as Deputy Chief Constable from Mr Lewis’s former force - as well as and two new assistant chief constables from outside the area.

However, the report heaps more pressure on under-fire Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger.

Mr Coppinger, who has been in charge since 2012, has faced repeated calls to resign over poor performance and a string of scandals at the force.

(Image: Teesside Live)

The £70,000-a-year Labour commissioner, whose role is to hold the chief constable to account for police performance, said he “shared the public’s concern”.

He said: “In particular, the failure of Cleveland Police to consistently protect the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“This is completely unacceptable to me.

“I am directly elected as the public’s representative for policing and victims and the force’s recent performance is simply not good enough.

“People expect more from their police service and the force’s senior leaders.”

Mr Coppinger said he was “disturbed” to find some senior leaders within the force had provided the chief, himself and the inspectorate, with “incomplete information”.

He added: “This prevents me from gaining a full understanding of the extent of the problems and prevents the chief from effectively responding to demand.

“I have demanded of the force open, honest and candid responses to my scrutiny in the future.”

Among a small number of positives found by inspectors was the that force is good at tackling serious and organised crime.

The publication of the full report comes after Cleveland Police was placed into special measures in August following the inspection.

This means the chief constable and police and crime commissioner are called before a national board and questioned about their plans to ensure "critical improvements" are made.

The Home Secretary could then step in to tackle the problem if no progress is made.

A string of scandals has plagued the force in recent years. It has seen six chief constables in almost as many years.



Former chief constable Sean Price was sacked for gross misconduct in 2012; seven officers were under investigation after journalists' phones were unlawfully monitored, and there have been long-standing claims of racism within the ranks.