Detectives reveal impact of changes to charging guidance

28 March 2022

Changes to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Director’s Guidance on Charging has led to a huge increase in the workload of detectives, according to a new survey.

More than 6,000 detectives took part in the survey which was carried out by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) to assess the impact of the changes to the charging guidance on detectives’ morale.

And 93 per cent of respondents indicated their overall workload had increased due to the changes, while 61 per cent said the changes had increased their intention to leave their role.

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Geoff Bardell said the survey had highlighted a significant problem that needed urgent attention.

He warned: “This is clearly a significant issue which is already having serious implications across the police service and the criminal justice system. It needs to be addressed now, not later. 

“Once again our members are being pushed to their absolute limits and they are getting sick and tired of being treated with such little respect.

“These changes were obviously going to create more work for our already over-stretched detectives but our warnings fell on deaf ears and we now have a situation where talented and dedicated men and women are leaving the service because they can no longer cope with the pressures on them.

“These changes need to be reversed and replaced with a new set of guidelines drawn up after proper consultation with detectives who serve on the frontline.”

The survey found 59 per cent of the detectives who took part characterised their job as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful, while 87 per cent said the changes had increased how stressful they find their job.

In addition, 67 per cent indicated they had decreased the number of hours they were able to spend actively investigating live cases - due to increased case preparation work, while 86 per cent said the changes had decreased the efficiency of the criminal justice system.

The survey also found:
• 77 per cent said their overall job satisfaction had decreased
• 96 per cent indicated the changes increased the number of hours spent on pre-charging file preparation
• 80 per cent of respondents indicated they had increased the number of active cases they were working on
• 45 per cent indicated the number of victims withdrawing from active participation with their investigation has increased due to the changes.

Glyn Pattinson, chair of the Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum (PFNDF), has called for a fundamental review of the guidance.

Speaking about the survey, he said: “This shows how deeply frustrated colleagues are with the CPS changes, and the negative impact that implementing the guidance has on colleagues. Morale is increasingly low because detectives are being tied down with bureaucracy, rather than being able to get on with their jobs.

“These changes have meant colleagues are unfairly being asked to jump through hoops. While we’re fully supportive of the need for full disclosure, the need for trial-ready files – particularly when individuals plead guilty - is often unnecessary.

“It’s clear from the survey that workloads have increased massively, and the system is on the point of collapse. There’s also an increasing number of dedicated detectives who want to leave due to the pressure caused by the present system, and it will be impossible to replace this experience once it is lost.

“I was recently with a group of student officers who when they joined were determined to become detectives. One year on in their service, they had completely changed their minds because they’d seen first-hand the complexities, risks, and deep frustration of being in the role.

“The changes are impacting on police officers in many roles and not just detectives. We urgently need the CPS to review its guidance and continue to work alongside the Police Federation and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to reconsider the full impact of the changes.”  

Read the report.