Inspection Reveals Room for Improvement
Wiltshire Police has been told it still “requires improvement” in investigating crime and protecting vulnerable people, according to the latest PEEL 2025-27 report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The force was marked down for inconsistent supervision of investigations and poor monitoring of protective orders. Inspectors reviewed 85 cases, finding 66 investigated effectively, but supervision was inconsistent, only seen in 57 of 73 cases examined. The force’s system to track breaches of protective orders remains weak, relying heavily on victims to report violations themselves — a major concern highlighted in the report.
Backlog and Underreporting Cause Alarm
At November 2025, a shocking 217 domestic abuse cases awaited a critical secondary risk assessment, delaying referrals to safeguarding partners. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police was found to be seriously under-recording use-of-force incidents. Official figures logged 8,440 incidents by March 2025, but inspectors believe the true number was closer to 9,745—a gap of 1,305 incidents.
Credit Where It’s Due: Progress Made
Despite these red flags, the report points to solid progress. Wiltshire Police scored “good” for applying its powers fairly and appropriately, as well as for crime prevention and tackling antisocial behaviour. The force smashed the national 999 call answering target, answering 90.4% within 10 seconds—beating the 90% standard. Victim outcomes also improved, with 15.1% positive results versus a 12.2% national median.
Leaders Promise Continued Reform
“Wiltshire Police has made notable improvements… but concerns remain around culture, investigations and vulnerability management,” said His Majesty’s Inspector Kathryn Stone OBE.
She praised leadership and financial management, saying ongoing workforce development and better safeguarding would be key to sustained progress.
“I’m optimistic the force’s plans will deliver the improvements needed,” Stone added.
Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson welcomed the report, saying: “The force is no longer recovering from failure but is focused on embedding improvement and building confidence. There is still work to do on investigative consistency and safeguarding, and I will hold the Chief Constable to account.” Despite the uphill climb, inspectors and leadership agree Wiltshire Police is on the right track – just not there yet.
