5 months ago
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Shadow justice secretary says Conservatives have ‘badly mismanaged criminal justice system’ as memo sent to chief constables by police chiefs
Good morning. The police have been told to arrest fewer people because jails in England and Wales are too full. The Times got the story last night, and if the inflation figures weren’t out this morning, it would be the lead item on the TV news.
In their story, Matt Dathan and Ben Ellery quote from a memo sent to chief constables by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). It says:
Consideration is to be given to pausing non-priority arrests and any planned operations where large numbers of arrests may take place to ease the pressure within the criminal justice system.
Notwithstanding public protection remains a priority and a considered threat, harm and risk assessment is to be completed when considering any pause in police operations.
We continue along with NPCC chair Gavin Stephens to make it clear in the strongest terms that the current situation is having an unsustainable operational impact on policing and the further deterioration in the situation, which HMPPS expect early next week, will further impact on operational policing and risks public safety. It is important for us to be able to show what those risks to public safety are.
It beggars belief that police are being told to sit on their hands and ignore crime because the Conservatives have mismanaged the criminal justice system so badly.
Rishi Sunak’s rap sheet now reads: the rushed early release of domestic abusers on to our streets, deliberate delays to trials, and victims waiting years for justice. The public will be absolutely dumbfounded. This cannot go on.
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