New figures reveal that victims wait an average 419 days to report crimes. Police blame ‘needless paperwork’ for the 50 percent increase in time taken to charge suspects.
Detectives stated that getting cases “trial ready” can waste days or weeks, before they are referred the Crown Prosecution Service for a decision about whether to charge someone.
Officers are expected to prepare hundreds of pages worth of evidence from third parties, such as contact with the health service, and thousands upon thousands of files, even if the suspect pleads guilt or is not likely to be convicted due to lack of evidence.
Detectives stated that this data must be reviewed and redacted in order to eliminate people not implicated in the case. This includes pixels in bodycam footage.
New figures reveal that victims wait an average 419 days to report crimes. Police blame ‘needless paperwork’ for the 50 percent increase in time taken to charge suspects.
CPS regulations were amended in 2020 following a string of collapsed cases, in which new evidence was discovered at trial that could have been investigated sooner.
The Ministry of Justice data showed that there was a 49.5 percent increase in time it took for an offense to be reported, and then the CPS authorization police to bring the suspect into court.
According to new data, it takes on average 419 days, as opposed to the average time of 282 days in 2019.
These figures show that the time it takes for cases to reach the court system before a trial is completed increases. It was 246 days averaged in 2019, and it can reach 387 days average.
A huge backlog in court cases is partly responsible for this delay. Figures show more than 60,000 Crown Court cases are outstanding in England and Wales, plus more than 300,000 in magistrates’ courts.
Kevin Marshall (51), a veteran detective who specializes in cases of child cruelty and abuse, stated that his officers often have to go through many years of contacts with child services and schools before reviewing thousands of pages.
According to him, The Sunday Telegraph reported that many of the inquiries required to “trial ready it” can be time-consuming and may take several months.
“Officers just yell at me, saying that this is impossible to do. It is likely that they are spending more time sitting at their desks in front of computers.
Some detectives are considering quitting due to the recent CPS rule change, which some police believe has been too much in the opposite direction. A poll by Devon and Cornwall Police revealed that extra paperwork is being used as an excuse.
Results showed that new recruits are being discouraged from becoming detectives by the additional workload. However, 29,000 positions remain vacant.
Andrew Berry, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Police Federation said that ‘additional effort is lost’ when a defendant pleads guilty, or the CPS refuses to charge.
The Telegraph was informed by The CPS that they expect thorough investigations from police officers that follow all avenues of inquiry. This would prevent ‘unnecessary delays or the dropping of cases.
Last month, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab announced that magistrates would be able to jail offenders for up to 12 months, doubling the current maximum, in a bid to relieve pressure on the growing court backlog.
According to him, the change would allow for around 2,000 hours of Crown Court time per year. This is because fewer cases need to be referred before a judge to sentence them.
Andrew Berry is the Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation. He stated that “additional labor is wasted” if the defendant pleads guilty.
Lawyers said that the proposal could see defendants. They may be given a longer sentence by a magistrate or choose to go before a jury. Or, they might plead guilty at a crown court, where their chances of being imprisoned are lower.
Kirsty Britelow, QC, a criminal and international human rights lawyer and Kirsty Brimelow said that defendants might ‘take their chance’ and make it to the crown court rather than being sentenced by a magistrate for a longer term.
Max Hardy stated that this proposal will ‘cost taxpayer a lot’ because Crown court trials are much more expensive than the ones heard by magistrates. A rise in prisoner sentences for short terms would be costly to the public.
After the Colston Four, who in 2020 had thrown a statue depicting Edward Colston into Bristol Harbour, Mr Raab announced that they would be going on trial before a jury. They were ultimately found innocent of criminal damage.
Powers to increase magistrates’ maximum sentencing powers were first passed into law in 2003 – but have never been brought into force.
The changes are limited to ‘triable-either-way’ offences meaning that defendants can still opt to have their case heard by a jury.