Cuts blamed for public losing faith in criminal justice system

11 February 2020

West Midlands Police Federation chair Jon Nott has blamed funding cuts after a new police watchdog report highlighted people are losing faith in the criminal justice system.

The report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said victims of crime were experiencing ‘stark differences’ in the investigation they received depending on their force area.

Matt Parr, HMIC inspector, author of the report Diverging Under Pressure, said victims have given up reporting some crimes because the police do not have the capacity to investigate.

He concluded that members of the public are losing faith in the criminal justice system because the chances of offenders being brought to justice are so slim, with a suspect being charged in just 7.8 per cent of recorded crimes last year in England and Wales, down from 9.1 per cent the year before.

“The number of crimes recorded by police has risen, the complexity of many crimes is increasing, and there are fewer officers and staff to investigate,” he said.

But Jon explained: “What Mr Parr describes is a perfect storm of fewer officers and staff to investigate increasing numbers of offences and increasingly complex criminality.

“And with fewer resources available to pursue investigations after a decade of devastating cuts, is it any wonder that people are beginning to lose faith? It is horrible to hear and but not necessarily surprising.

“Our communities quite rightly expect to have a properly resourced and properly funded police service that can investigate, prevent and deter criminals. And with that will come the public’s trust.”

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has also spoken out in response to the report.

He said: “The harsh reality is that policing can no longer do all the things it once could, with some local forces struggling to respond to 999 calls in a timely manner.

“Police officers didn’t join policing to give a bad service but the system is broken and forces are having to make some incredibly difficult operational decisions on which crimes to prioritise.”

He added: “The public would be horrified if they realised just how few officers there are in their local areas to respond to incidents. It’s essential we have the confidence of the public and I understand the frustration of victims but it is equally frustrating for police officers. It is soul-destroying.

“No police officer is happy with this situation; and some of those crimes which are defined as ‘minor’ are the ones which can be the most impactive on the victim.

“The Government’s recruitment drive will help but it is not a panacea, as Mr Parr points out in his report, and we need a more cohesive criminal justice system, better IT and stronger infrastructure.

“What the service so desperately needs is a long-term funding deal to enable all forces to return to a position where they are properly funded to handle the challenges they face. Our police and public deserve so much better.”