Kent Police is officially the best force in the country for its crime recording accuracy, according to a government report published today.

It is one of only two in England and Wales to have been graded 'outstanding' and its crime-recording arrangements have improved dramatically since June 2017, says Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The force’s approach to crime recording had previously been graded as 'inadequate', but inspectors have now judged the force to be 'outstanding' in how it records reports of offences.

The inspectorate found Kent Police had made excellent progress in how it records incidents involving violent crimes and serious sexual offences.

As a result, it estimates the force is recording an additional 25,400 crimes a year, substantially improving its understanding of local demand.

The report sets out two areas for further improvement but concludes that strong leadership from the force's senior team has resulted in a cultural shift in the workforce’s approach to crime recording.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said: “I am delighted to say that Kent Police is back on form with an overall outstanding grade for how it records crime.

"An earlier crime-recording inspection showed that there was significant room for improvement in this area.

"But this revisit has shown us that the force really has gone above and beyond to fix the problems we found.

"To go from inadequate to outstanding is proof that a force can really excel with the right focus and some hard graft.

“This is a notable achievement and I congratulate the force for turning a weakness into a real strength.

"We’ve seen improvements across the board in its recording rate for violent crime, sexual offences and its overall crime recording rate.

"This means that the force has a much clearer understanding of the extent and nature of crime in Kent.

“What I found on this revisit is that Kent Police is a force committed to doing its absolute best wherever it can.

"The force has introduced an excellent crime-recording training package and leaders have stepped up the level of supervision they have over crime-recording decisions.

"Officers can expect to get genuinely constructive feedback, so they know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong.

"There is no room for confusion about what they need to do to meet the force’s high crime recording standards.

"To go from inadequate to outstanding is proof that a force can really excel with the right focus and some hard graft" - Zoe Billingham

“That is why I am confident that Kent Police will address our last few concerns without any trouble at all.

"We found that it still needs to make sure that all reports from third parties make it onto the books and that all crimes are recorded within 24 hours of reporting.

“That aside, I am impressed by what Kent Police has achieved.

"The people of Kent can rest assured that when they report a crime, their local force will record it quickly and accurately. This opens up access to vital support services that victims of crime may need to help them through a difficult time.

"The force should take pride in its outstanding grade and remember that good crime recording makes a real difference to victims of crime.”

The report estimates the force now records 96.6% of crimes reported to it - which is higher than many other forces in the country.

Cheshire constabulary came second with 96.4% of crimes reported to it recorded.

The news has been welcomed by crime commissioner Matthew Scott, who said he was delighted about the judgement.

He added: "I am delighted that Kent Police has been found to be outstanding for crime data integrity by HMICFRS.

"The chief constable and his senior officer team have installed a culture whereby all Kent Police officers and staff understand their roles and responsibilities with regards to crime recording.

"Today’s judgement is testament to how far the force has come in a short space of time and I congratulate it for that.’

"A change programme was quickly implemented and the Chief Constable assured me things were improving.

"Today’s report confirms all the inspectorate’s recommendations have been completed.

"I’m pleased to see Kent Police is now leading the way in this vital area."

Chief constable Alan Pughsley added: "I am delighted to see such a significant improvement to our crime recording being recognised.

"This is testament to the hard work and commitment of our officers in ensuring we get crime recording right.

"It is particularly pleasing that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue has recognised the excellent progress being made and our proven ability to make significant advances since their last inspection.

"We will continue to make further progress and build on the improvements we have made so far to provide the best service possible to the people of Kent."

Contracts manager for Victim Support, David Naylor said: "We welcome the news that Kent Police have received this outstanding grade and acknowledge the work done to achieve this.”

“Accurately recording crimes is extremely important in ensuring victims get access to the help and support they need so this is a significant result.”

“It’s important that victims and witnesses know there is independent support available if they need it.”

HMICFRS will continue to monitor the force’s progress; as with all police forces, Kent Police may be subject to a further unannounced crime data integrity inspection at any time.

Victim Support can be reached locally on 0808 1689276 or 24/7 via Supportline on 0808 1689111 or visit www.victimsupport.org.uk