A long-term decline in successful prosecutions means that too few criminal investigations are leading to justice for victims, according to a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into how effectively the police investigate crime, and volume crime such as theft in particular.
Inspectors found a ‘shortage of resources’, that put strain on police. The inspection found difficulty in recruiting (and retaining) investigators; the report noted that Greater Manchester Police as part of an ‘investigators’ resilience programme’ appointed 12 retired detectives as ‘detective coaches’ that mentor trainee detectives.
Many response and neighbourhood officers ‘don’t think their primary role is to investigate crime. If they don’t have an investigative mindset, they may miss opportunities to secure and preserve evidence, and to identify lines of enquiry’.
On retail crime, retailers don’t believe the police take shoplifting seriously, the report stated. While the inspectors say that they didn’t find any evidence that forces screen out crime (including shoplifting) based solely on the crime type, and police are improving their response to shoplifting, ‘there is still a long way to go’, the report said. The report did pass on a view that in effect, police are screening out, because ‘lack of investigation amounted to a screening-out policy’. Some forces told inspectors ‘that they used to screen out certain types of crimes, such as low-value theft or minor criminal damage, but they no longer did’.
The report pointed to the 2023 updating (pushed by then Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman) by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing of their guidance to forces; whereby police will investigate where they have a ‘reasonable line of inquiry’. However, police don’t have a clear explanation of what constitutes ‘reasonable’. The report found one force’s investigation policy that it ‘would only investigate a crime if it was in the public interest or had the potential to bring offenders to justice’. Investigating the most complex and serious crimes could often come at the expense of volume crime.
Some police told inspectors about confusing and changing priorities, and that attending calls was a priority; they felt that if they had to decide between carrying out an initial investigation or promptly attending the next call, they would attend the call. As for ‘out-of-court resolutions’, some forces used them, some not. As for meeting needs of victims of crime, ‘police, Crown Prosecution Service and Probation Service focused more on complying with the Victims’ Code’; not necessarily the same thing. “Many officers and staff told us they were doing their best and wanted to provide a good service to victims. However, they said their workload prevented them from doing this as well as they wanted,” the report said.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said: “There is little in policing that is more important to the public than investigating crime. The consequences of not doing it consistently well, means lower levels of public trust and confidence in policing, and in the wider criminal justice system.
“When a crime is reported, the public have a right to expect that the police will record and investigate it effectively. Victims of crime also have the right to expect to receive regular updates. We spoke to many officers and staff working tirelessly to investigate crime and achieve positive outcomes for victims. However, we found that all too often, investigators’ efforts are hampered by ineffective force processes which means that often forces don’t put victims first.
“And it is evident that chief constables do not have sufficient resources to investigate all volume crime to a standard that they and the public wish to see. While forces undoubtably need more officers and staff, with the resources they have, there is much they can do.
“There are many good examples of initiatives across forces as they work hard to improve the effectiveness of crime investigations and the service they give to victims. I encourage chief constables to consider how they can adopt these or take similar approaches in their forces.”
Among other findings:
– digital evidence adds significant complexity to crime investigations;
– police forces don’t have an understanding of their crime-related demand;
– police lack an agreed national model to help forces decide how many investigators they need.
You can read the 131-page report on the HMICFRS website.
Comment
For the rank and file police body the Police Federation, Acting National Chair Tiff Lynch said: “Let’s be honest about what this report describes in brutal detail. A broken system that leaves the public less safe and a police service overworked, underpaid and under threat.
“Officers are leaving the job in record numbers because they simply cannot afford to stay and the price of doing the job is too high for their health. We are losing experience at an alarming rate, and that directly impacts how crimes are investigated and solved and victims supported. The word “inexperienced” is used a staggering 34 times in this report.
“If government have been honest about describing the NHS as a broken system full of heroes, they must do the same for policing. This report shows a service and a workforce stretched beyond its limits. The government cannot expect high-quality policing and safer streets when it refuses to fairly pay those whose blood, sweat and tears delivers it day in and day out.”
For the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), joint leads on performance, Gloucestershire PCC Chris Nelson and Bedfordshire PCC John Tizard said they welcomed the HMICFRS inspection report. They said: “Acknowledging that forces are making efforts to improve their investigation performance, a combination of increased demand, reduced resources, inconsistent and ineffective practices, and gaps in training and supervision are impacting investigation outcomes for the majority of forces, even those that are high performing in other areas. The recruitment of more detectives and supervisors and training is key, but this also needs to apply to police officers and staff, including call handlers and neighbourhood teams. And, as the report recognises, this cannot be at the expense of other areas.
“Police and Crime Commissioners and Deputy Mayors will be considering this report and its recommendations and will hold chief constables to account for addressing and improving force investigations and achieving positive outcomes for victims.”
Photo by Mark Rowe: Met Police sign warning about street robbery, London Docklands.
