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His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), formerly Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), has statutory responsibility for the inspection of the police forces of England and Wales, and since July 2017 the fire and rescue services of England. HMICFRS is headed by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. It has taken over the responsibilities of His Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate.
 | |
| Established | 21 July 1856 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Birmingham, England[1] |
Region served | |
Chief Inspector | Andy Cooke |
| Website | hmicfrs |
Inspections may also be made, by invitation only, and on a non-statutory basis, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other organisations with policing responsibility.[2]
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In England and Wales, HMICFRS is responsible to the UK Parliament.[3][4] The first inspectors were appointed under the County and Borough Police Act 1856; current statutory functions are contained in the Police Act 1996 and related legislation. However, the body's principal statutory functions are unchanged since its establishment in 1856, namely to assess and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces in England and Wales. In July 2017, its remit was expanded to include responsibility to assess and report on the efficiency, effectiveness and leadership of the 45 Fire & Rescue services in England.[5][6]
The inspectorate is also paid by other departments to report on the activities of non-Home Office bodies involved in law enforcement, such as the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, HM Revenue and Customs, the National Crime Agency, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and some overseas police forces.[2] Reporting has also been performed on a voluntary basis for the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police. It also receives funding from the Treasury for its work on HMRC.
As a public authority, decisions and actions of HMICFRS are susceptible to judicial review.
Personnel
HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services is Andy Cooke, former chief constable of Merseyside Police,[7] who was appointed in April 2022.[8] His predecessor was the lawyer and former rail regulator Tom Winsor, who took office on 1 October 2012 as the first chief inspector to be appointed from outside the police service.[9] Before Winsor, the chief inspector was former Surrey Police Chief Constable, Sir Denis O'Connor, in post from 2008 until his retirement in 2012.[10]
In addition to the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, there are three Inspectors of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services:[11] Roy Wilsher, former chief fire officer in Hertfordshire; Matt Parr,[12] formerly a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy; and Wendy Williams, formerly Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS Direct. Appointments follow the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.[12]
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Inspections of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have been made in recent years by invitation, on a non-statutory basis. The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 allows HMIC to perform inspection and assessment of services or projects by direction of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. At the request of the chief constable of the PSNI, in 2013 the inspectorate published a report into Northern Ireland's Historical Enquiries Team.[13]
Inspectors of Constabulary for England and Wales from 1856:
- Captain Francis J. Parry, to 1900
- Captain Herbert D. Terry, from 1900[14]
The first chief inspector was appointed in 1962.[8]
- Sir William Johnson, 1962–1963
- Sir Edward Dodd, 1963–1966
- Colonel Sir Eric St Johnston, 1967–1970
- Sir John McKay, 1970–1972
- Sir John Hill, 1972–1975
- Sir James Haughton, 1976–1977
- Sir Colin Woods, 1977–1979
- Sir James Crane, 1979–1982
- Sir Lawrence Byford, 1983–1987
- Sir Richard Barrett, 1987–1990
- Sir John Woodcock, 1990–1993
- Sir Trefor Morris, 1993–1996
- Sir David O'Dowd, 1996–2001
- Sir Keith Povey 2002–2005
- Sir Ronnie Flanagan, 2005–2009
- Sir Denis O'Connor, 2009–2012
- Sir Thomas Winsor, 2012–2022
- Andy Cooke, 2022–present
In July 2017, the role became Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. The incumbent is Andy Cooke, who was appointed in April 2022.[8]
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In March 2021, HMICFRS published a report that endorsed a proposed clampdown on protests. In response to the report, a whistleblower alleged that its authors had reached conclusions favouring the government's view prior to gathering and assessing evidence, in breach of the civil service code.[15]
- His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
- His Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate for Scotland
- Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland
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