Sussex Police is describing itself as a high performing force – but is giving up overall detection rate as a target.
In a message to staff from Chief Constable Martin Richards to mark the start of the new policing year he said: "Our targets for 2008-09 focus on our six service priorities and include many familiar aims: reducing crime, increasing public satisfaction with the quality of the service we are providing, and further improving priority investigations.
"For me the most significant omission from this year’s targets is one for an overall detection rate. Resolving crimes and incidents remains a fundamental part of our public service mission, but in the pursuit of quantity unfortunately quality sometimes suffers.
"Force performance is about developing and improving our service and not chasing numbers for numbers’ sake. That is what our new force targets for 2008-09 are designed to achieve.
"Our activities will be shaped by our six service priorities:
Deliver a quality service that is visible and reassures.
Reduce and detect crime with emphasis on serious and organised crime.
Respond to calls for assistance.
Deliver local policing.
Improve ease of contact and accessibility.
Develop our organisational capability.
"We are proud of being a high performing force, and one that has achieved significant improvements in recent years. The targets for 2008-09 are about maintaining that drive, and building upon it."
The force says it is abandoning its overall detection target from a position of strength. In the 12 months to the start of April, the detection rate was running at more than 32pc, against a target of 28pc.
