The Royal Gibraltar Police is pleased with the findings of HMIC's report, and believes that this is a testament to the efforts of every single officer and civil service support staff member who has contributed positively towards their ongoing journey of continuous improvement, something that was also recognised earlier this year through the award of the prestigious Investors in People Gold standard.
In their statement, they explain "We also recognise some of the issues highlighted by the report, and significant progress has already been made with regards addressing the recommendations raised in the report. We have made huge strides in tackling crime and adapting our methods and policies to the myriad of challenges that have faced us over the past 5 years. Work to address HMIC’s recommendations is already well advanced. This includes a significant restructure of operational resources that includes the forthcoming introduction of a new 24/7 work shift pattern aimed at ensuring resources are better aligned to demand and risk, and regular training for junior and middle management to improve supervision of investigations and casework."
Commissioner of Police Eddie Yome highlighted that “this was hugely encouraging to those who served their community 24 hours a day / 365 days a year, operating in a challenging and often misunderstood environment at the sharp end of criticism”. He added that "our community should be reassured with the findings of an independent and experienced body such as Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary”, adding that “we remain committed to maximising our finite resources to improve our service delivery, striving to strike the right balance between ensuring we continue to police in the “traditional” sense whilst also focusing on the more recent and complex demands brought about by the advances in technology and several pieces of legislation that have been introduced in the past 5 years”.
Together with the recent IIP Gold award, the HMIC report is a fantastic platform for future excellence. The RGP statement adds, "..and we will continue to make ourselves available to independent and expert scrutiny to enhance our professionalism. The RGP will certainly not be complacent and will continue to raise the bar, promoting transparency as a public sector organisation that is keen to interact with the people whom we serve. We will continue to learn from experiences and taking on board community feedback and lessons learnt in moving forward, providing value for money by way of increased sharing of resources and capabilities with relevant stakeholders."
