Public confidence in Nottinghamshire Police has fallen below 50 per cent and is now at its lowest level recorded by the force’s survey, according to the latest performance report for the county’s Police and Crime Plan.
The Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Plan Performance Framework for Quarter 4 of 2025/26, covering performance up to 31 March 2026, shows overall public confidence in the police stood at 49.4 per cent in the 12 months to March 2026. That was down from 50.5 per cent in the 12 months to March 2025 and 52 per cent against the 2023/24 baseline.
The report says the latest fall was largely driven by more respondents saying they felt neither confident nor unconfident in the police. Confidence among female respondents fell from 54 per cent to 49.1 per cent over the year, while confidence among disabled respondents fell from 50.1 per cent to 45.4 per cent. Confidence among male respondents rose from 47.2 per cent to 49.9 per cent.
The framework is used to monitor delivery of the Police and Crime Plan 2025-29, which sets the strategic direction for Nottinghamshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner and partner agencies between January 2025 and March 2029. It focuses on three main objectives: putting communities and victims first, strengthening partnership working, and maintaining effective and resilient policing. The report is reviewed quarterly through the statutory Police and Crime Panel and the Commissioner’s Strategic Resources and Performance Board.
The report identifies different patterns across Nottinghamshire. Ashfield and Bassetlaw saw notable falls in confidence and remain below the force average. Mansfield saw improvements across several measures, including perceptions of police performance, catching criminals, and tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, though overall confidence remains slightly below the force average. Nottingham city recorded improved perceptions of police visibility but lower confidence in investigation and crime prevention. South Nottinghamshire continued to record higher-than-average confidence overall, particularly in Rushcliffe, although Gedling showed emerging concerns around prevention, fairness, response and listening to public concerns.
The figures show residents’ satisfaction with police service stood at 56.1 per cent, unchanged from the 2023/24 baseline, while the proportion of people saying the police “do a good job” fell to 44.7 per cent, down from 47.6 per cent at baseline.
Perceptions of police visibility improved over the year, rising from 31.7 per cent to 33.7 per cent, but remained below the 2023/24 baseline of 34.6 per cent. Nottingham city saw the biggest increase, from 39 per cent to 44 per cent, while Newark and Sherwood rose from 26 per cent to 32 per cent, the highest figure recorded for the district. Rushcliffe saw a fall from 33 per cent to 31 per cent.
Neighbourhood policing capacity increased during the period. Neighbourhood officer strength rose to 321.7 full-time equivalent posts, up from 266.7 in the 12 months to March 2025 and 212.9 at the 2023/24 baseline. PCSO strength stood at 151.5 full-time equivalent posts, compared with 148.4 a year earlier, while the Special Constabulary remained broadly stable at 84.
Police-recorded anti-social behaviour continued to fall, dropping to 20,458 incidents in the 12 months to March 2026. That was down 17.4 per cent on the previous year and 29.3 per cent below the 2023/24 baseline. The report attributes the reduction to targeted Home Office investment, improved demand management, strengthened policy and governance, and the introduction of a dedicated anti-social behaviour triage officer within contact management.
However, the proportion of people reporting that they had experienced anti-social behaviour in the last year increased to 70.6 per cent, up from 65.2 per cent a year earlier and 60 per cent at baseline. The report says changes to the Police and Crime Survey, including the addition of illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters as a form of anti-social behaviour, may have contributed to the increase.
The report also shows all victim-based crime rose to 85,532 offences, up four per cent year-on-year and slightly above the 2023/24 baseline. Total police-recorded crime rose to 101,522, up 3.4 per cent on the previous year but slightly below the baseline.
Neighbourhood crime increased by 6.5 per cent to 9,633 offences. The rise was driven mainly by vehicle crime, which increased by 11.1 per cent, personal robbery, which rose by 12.9 per cent, and theft from the person, which rose by 13 per cent. Residential burglary continued to fall, dropping by 4.6 per cent year-on-year and 8.8 per cent against baseline.
The report says increases in some neighbourhood crime categories align with proactive activity in the city, including targeted patrols, increased use of capture cars and a higher volume of successful arrests. It also says reductions in burglary have been supported by operations targeting high-value burglaries in county areas.
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Victim satisfaction with police service fell to 48.7 per cent, down from 52 per cent a year earlier and 50.2 per cent at baseline. Rushcliffe, Ashfield and Bassetlaw saw significant falls. In Rushcliffe, victim satisfaction dropped from 65 per cent to 53 per cent; in Ashfield it fell from 50 per cent to 39 per cent; and in Bassetlaw it fell from 52 per cent to 46 per cent. Mansfield and Gedling saw increases.
Domestic abuse crime continued to rise, reaching 18,492 offences in the 12 months to March 2026, up 5.1 per cent year-on-year and 11.8 per cent above the 2023/24 baseline. The report says the increase has been influenced by higher reporting linked to campaigns under the violence against women and girls strategy and force operations. It also says training across the force has changed the way risk levels are assessed, with demand shifting from high risk towards medium and standard risk offences rather than necessarily reducing.
Rape and serious sexual offences also increased, rising to 4,128 recorded offences, up 10.2 per cent on the previous year and 16.9 per cent above baseline. The report says this was driven mainly by adult rape and serious sexual offences, which rose by 14.4 per cent year-on-year and 32.9 per cent compared with baseline. Child rape and serious sexual offences remained relatively stable, although the report says police-recorded child sexual exploitation rose sharply, indicating improved identification and growing safeguarding demand.
Violent knife crime rose by 17.5 per cent to 933 offences, with increases recorded in both the city and county. The report says knife-enabled offending peaked between November 2025 and January 2026, with the largest increase linked to knife-enabled robbery. However, knife-related assault with injury and hospital admissions for knife-related offences among people under 25 both fell.
Modern slavery offences almost doubled, rising by 94.2 per cent to 266. The report attributes the increase to revised Home Office counting rules introduced in April 2025, improved training, greater awareness, media attention and stronger multi-agency working, which it says have led to higher levels of self-reporting and referrals.
Police demand also increased. The number of 999 calls rose to 249,823, up 7.4 per cent year-on-year, while the proportion answered within target fell to 89.7 per cent. The 999 abandoned call rate remained stable at 0.4 per cent. Calls to 101 fell slightly to 602,270, but the 101 abandoned call rate rose to 2.1 per cent. Online reporting increased by 52.6 per cent to 6,273 reports, including 5,981 crimes.
Officer service strength stood at 2,382.3 full-time equivalent posts, down 0.5 per cent year-on-year and 1.6 per cent below the 2023/24 baseline. Staff service strength rose to 1,487 full-time equivalent posts, up 9.7 per cent against baseline. The report says officer numbers vary during the year because of workforce planning and funding checkpoints.
The overall positive outcome rate for all crime fell to 16.5 per cent, down from 17.5 per cent a year earlier but still above the 2023/24 baseline of 15.7 per cent. The proportion of crimes with an identified suspect stood at 38.2 per cent, up from 37.8 per cent a year earlier. The quality of police investigation index score remained at 8.5, in line with the target.
The report does not set out final decisions for councillors or partner agencies, but it will be used to scrutinise progress against the Police and Crime Plan. Its findings show that while neighbourhood officer numbers, burglary performance, victim care support and some partnership measures have improved, public confidence, victim satisfaction, knife crime, sexual offences, domestic abuse and emergency demand remain significant areas of pressure for Nottinghamshire Police and local partners.
