Chief Reporter

Devon and Cornwall Police are to launch a "customer service" charm offensive to boost their flagging public confidence ratings.

The force has slipped from second in the country to 35th after its public approval figures slumped in the space of just 12 months, despite a seven per cent reduction in crime.

Specialist advisers from the Home Office and the National Policing Improvement Agen- cy (NPIA) were called in by the force to address the problem, which had already been the subject of an internal review.

Chief Constable Stephen Otter yesterday revealed that an "action plan" was now in place to improve public perceptions of its police service.

That included a "training programme to support culture change around customer service" which is scheduled to start in three months' time. Targets have been set for September 2010 and beyond.

"Internal review and feedback from the peer review indicates that the force is conducting activity in the right areas to deliver improved performance," Mr Otter said in a report to the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority.

"A particular focus is needed to maintain delivery of a consistent high quality approach across the force."

In September 2008, surveys showed that 53.2 per cent of people agreed that Devon and Cornwall Police and their local council were "dealing with the anti-social behaviour and crime".

It put Devon and Cornwall second out of the 43 forces in England and Wales. But by September 2009, that approval rating had fallen to 46.9 per cent, and 35th place.

The latest set of statistics, up to December 2009, showed a mixed picture with some ratings up and others down.

On six questions – including whether the police can be "relied on to deal with minor crimes" – public approval has increased. However, five ratings have fallen including people's faith that officers "seek people's views about the anti-social behaviour and crime issues that matter in the area".

The figure of 40.5 per cent in that category ranks Devon and Cornwall bottom of the table of 43 forces.

In another category – whether people agreed they were kept informed about efforts to deal with local crime – the force also has the worst approval rating in the country.

The new measures, which were introduced by the Home Office in sweeping away crime-related targets, have thrown up major inconsistencies and have been the subject of considerable internal consternation.

For example, 60.9 per cent of people think the police do a "good or excellent job" – a rating which puts it fifth in the country.

Deputy Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the NPIA regarded the force's performance as "stable not declining" and that its position in the national table had slipped as other forces improved.

Nevertheless, he added: "We do accept we have room for improvement here. The new Government may change the performance regime but confidence is at the heart of what we do."

Mr Sawyer said there were wide variations even within the force: "Some parts of this force are really performing extremely well – North Devon, parts of Plymouth and East Cornwall – and are starting to pull away from other areas."

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and- file officers, has previously warned that the figures are demoralising for officers and "confusing for the public".

It has warned that an unreliable system could lead to wasted time and effort.