West Midlands Police has been placed in Level One, the highest of four levels, under a new system used to assess police force performance across England and Wales.
The announcement was made on Thursday 16 July 2026 by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which unveiled details of its new Policing Performance System.
The system is designed to strengthen the national assessment process for police force performance, and West Midlands Police was assigned to Level One as part of the first round of monitoring under the new framework. Performance levels under the system range from one, the highest, to four, which denotes special measures.
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Jen Mattinson said the force had been “on a rapid journey of improvement” over the last three years, with a focus on preventing crime, responding to and protecting people from harm, and delivering the best possible service to victims. She said the force recognised the work was “a never-ending journey”, but was “absolutely committed to relentlessly improving services”, with local people at the heart of that effort.
T/DCC Mattinson added that crime being down across the West Midlands meant fewer victims, and credited the achievement to what she described as the hard work and dedication of the force’s officers, staff and volunteers. She said the Level One rating was proof that people in the West Midlands could have trust and confidence in their force, while stressing there remained opportunities to improve services and build trust with communities. Mattinson said:
“West Midlands Police has been on a rapid journey of improvement during the last three years, focused on preventing crime, responding and protecting people from harm and delivering the very best service possible to victims.
“We recognise this is a never-ending journey as one crime is one too many, but we are absolutely committed to relentlessly improving services, putting people who live, work and travel in the West Midlands at the heart of everything we do to keep them safe.
“We are committed to working with local people to tackle crime that impacts most on them and this is paying off as crime is down and this means fewer victims of crime across the West Midlands.
“While we are extremely pleased with what the force has achieved, and to be recognised nationally as performing at this level, we are not complacent and acknowledge there are still opportunities where we can improve services and build trust with communities.”
T/DCC Mattinson added:
“To achieve such a positive outcome from the inaugural Policing Performance Monitoring Group, who have assigned West Midlands Police to Level One, is extremely positive news. It acknowledges the huge amounts of hard work and dedication of our officers, staff and volunteers who come to work every day to prevent crime and keep people safe.
“This announcement by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is proof that people in the West Midlands can have trust and confidence in their force. We are seeking to build on this and continue to go from strength to strength, providing an excellent service to the public.”
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, also welcomed the outcome, saying he was pleased the force had been assigned to Level One by HMICFRS.
The rating marks the latest step in what the force has previously described as a significant turnaround.
West Midlands Police was placed into HMICFRS’s enhanced monitoring process, known as Engage, in December 2023, after inspectors identified four areas of concern, including how the force managed multi agency risk assessment conferences and the risks posed by registered sex offenders and online child abuse offenders.
The force was moved out of Engage in September 2024, with then Chief Constable Craig Guildford, who has since retired, calling it the fastest such turnaround of any force placed into the enhanced monitoring process.
Further details on the new Policing Performance System and the latest police performance levels are available on the HMICFRS website.
