A thread on #forensic toxicology, in particular the continuing problems with actually getting things tested in England and Wales /1
On the 12th October 2021 I made a FOI (Freedom of Information) request to all 43 Police Forces in England Wales following comments made by @HMICFRS in a document titled "Roads Policing: Not optional
An inspection of roads policing in England and Wales" justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-con… /2
An inspection of roads policing in England and Wales" justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-con… /2
@HMICFRS So I asked the police several questions (below). I got a response TODAY from a police force 14 months after asking for it, and within it was a set of responses which just waves massive red flags /3
@HMICFRS Over three years ago a limit was placed on every police force, by @PoliceChiefs, on toxicology submissions they could send to a #Forensic Science Provider for analysis, The cap is still in place. There is no end in sight.
https://twitter.com/JeSuisTC/status/1582333082379509760/4
they said that in 2019 they didn't drop any prosecutions because the proseuction time limit had been missed for lack of toxicology testing. It would appear all samples in 2019 were being tested within the statutoary time limit /6
they have a process in place when they take more than the capped number of samples in a week which is laughably, just holding onto the sample until you can submit them. /7
they admit that they have a process in place when they take more than the capped number of samples in a week which is simply just holding onto the sample until they can submit them. /7
This leads me to believe that the reason they have a process for dealing with a weekly tox caseload being over the capped limit is that this has happened in the past and is likely to happen in the future /8
But what if this happens every week, or they get a seasonal surge in cases or from big events like football matches or festivals? It must follow that prosecutions will inevitably be dropped. /9
Perhaps they are already, and perhaps this force is not alone. This is where the police are now THREE YEARS into a forensic toxicology crisis in England and Wales. /10
I know journalists follow me on twitter interested in forensic stuff, I am giving you a shovel and I'm showing you where to dig. /9 /ends
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