Record court backlogs, 7% of crimes prosecuted (1.5% of rapes), violence against women and girls raging unchecked, victims and perpetrators waiting years for justice
The government makes much of its 20,000 "extra" police officers. They do not replace the officers and staff lost because of austerity since 2010 and there are not enough senior officers to train and mentor them
And then there's the issue about the adequacy of vetting
The government has thrown a lot of money at specific projects, such as Violence Reduction Units, in the past couple of years
But there are huge issues with the funding of wider policing and the criminal justice system as a whole. It has been in crisis for years
At a policing conference a couple of weeks ago Sir Thomas Winsor, HM chief inspector of constabulary, said the government’s current police funding model “incompatible with efficient and effective long-term planning”
He said the criminal justice system was “creaking”
Sir Thomas warned the "unacceptable delay in taking cases to court will take its toll on the physical and mental health of victims, witnesses and the accused"
“Justice delayed is not justice, it is justice denied … the crisis in criminal justice has gone on for far too long.”
Priti Patel did not attend the policing conference he spoke at, which was the first to happen in person since the start of the pandemic
The reshuffle happened the next day, but officers were not pleased. Her recorded video was met with complete silence
There are many current bones of contention between police and the government, including a pay freeze
There are also tensions over the increasingly common creation of laws and policies without proper consultation, such as the "Beating Crime Plan" independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…
There is a lot of rhetoric from the government on crime, and many many announcements, reviews and plans
But does saying they are the "party of law and order" make it true?
Also, anyone looking at the way successive Conservative governments have prioritised law and order may wonder why they have blasted through 8 Justice Secretaries in a decade
The latest is juggling the post with being Deputy Prime Minister
The court heard that PC Carrick served in the Met's Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and claimed to have guarded high-profile figures including the prime minister. He has been suspended from duty
He was remanded in custody ahead of a hearing next month
PC Carrick, of Stevenage, met the alleged victim through a dating website and is accused of raping her at a hotel in St Albans
The defendant was not asked to enter a plea during the hearing, but a defence lawyer indicated that he would deny the charge
A police officer who was poisoned as a result of the Salisbury attack has said he felt like his “life was being taken away slowly” as he battled the nerve agent
Speaking at a summit in London, he described how his day had started “very normally” when he overheard radio chatter about two people found slumped on a bench.
“At this stage we didn’t know what had happened, it could have been alcohol or drug related, or a medical emergency”
He told how one of Sergei Skripal’s neighbours had a narrow escape, after police stopped her from entering his house hours after the attack.
Officers obtained his name and address from his wallet on 4 March 2018, and wanted to check whether anyone else needed medical attention
A local prosecutor told me the incident happened at around 5am local time (4am BST) today
The lorry was parked in the Transmarck logistics area, before continuing its journey towards England, and started moving while the boy was trying to board
“CCTV footage from the parking area and the testimony of the security guard who witnessed the incident indicated that the driver did not notice the accident and did not stop,” the prosecutor said
The driver of the lorry is believed to be Bulgarian. The investigation continues.
The deputy senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing told a summit:
“Incel in and of itself is not a terrorist ideology. You become a terrorist when you cross a threshold in terms of your actions and it’s about what you do or intend to do to further that cause”
The officer added: “The attack in Plymouth wasn’t driven by an ideology, albeit that individual was engaged in some kind of incel thinking. That doesn’t make him a terrorist.”
Classification of attacks is based on the definition of terrorism in the Terrorism Act 2000
Britain First hailed a "stupendous victory" and vowed to field candidates in upcoming elections
“Although our street activities will continue, this day marks the birth of BF as a traditional political party that will take the fight to the establishment through the ballot box.”
Britain First was previously a political party 2010-17 and was fined over £44k for electoral law breaches in that period
They are not a bar to registration, nor are convictions for Golding and the party's treasurer. The Electoral Commission does not assess policies/views
Police have appealed for drivers to stop calling them about queues at petrol stations as shortages continue
Some forces are starting to draw up contingency plans for refuelling vehicles but leaders say there has not yet been an impact on response to crime independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…
The Independent understands that individual police forces are responding to issues and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is not yet coordinating any operations or logistics for police vehicles
Different forces appear to be in different situations, depending on supply
The Metropolitan Police said it has a “dedicated fuel supply which remains robust” and there were no issues supplying vehicles with fuel
But West Midlands Police, one of UK’s largest forces, was meeting with partners today to discuss "future position and any contingency plans"