Bringing offenders to justice

03/03
10 January 2003

The Metropolitan Police Authority has agreed recommendations that pave the way for major changes in how victims, witnesses and suspects are treated by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Recommendations from the Authority’s best value review of ‘bringing offenders to justice’ include:

• introducing CPS lawyers at the point of charge to ensure that expert legal advice is available as early as possible;
• enhancing the role of prisoner processing teams to improve the care given to victims and witnesses as well as leading to ‘right first time’ case files;
• introducing systems to reduce the backlog of outstanding warrants issued for non-attendance at court (possibly by sub-contracting the ‘locate and trace’ function);
• subject to budget provision, replacing police officer gaolers with civil staff custody detention officers to reduce costs and release police officers for operational duty; and
• establishing secure electronic links between the MPS and CPS to reduce the time taken to bring cases to court.

The review’s findings were considered by members of the Planning, Performance and Review Committee at their meeting on 9 January 2003. Reshard Auladin, deputy chair of the Committee said:

“Improving the Met’s contribution to the criminal justice system is a priority for both the MPA and the MPS. In carrying out the review we have worked closely with the CPS and other partners and I am confident implementation will reduce the number of cases terminated due to legal or administrative errors. This will enhance the confidence of victims and witnesses in the MPS and the criminal justice system as a whole.”

The review was carried out on behalf of the MPA by a team of MPS officers led by Superintendent Simon Naylor. The team challenged current practices, consulted widely and compared the performance of the Met to other police services. The team also assessed whether some services could be provided by other agencies.

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, chair of the review’s project board, said:

“Best Value is about continuously improving the service that Londoners expect and deserve. The plan underpinning the review’s recommendations should reduce attrition rates as well as improving the service we give to victims and witnesses.

“We must take full advantage of the opportunity this review is giving the MPS to make a real difference to the service it provides, helping to make London a safer place and delivering real justice to those affected by crime.”

Implementation of the review’s improvement plan will fall to a new Department of Criminal Justice headed by Commander Alan Given who said:

“The review will lead to fundamental changes in how offenders are brought to justice. Implementation of the review’s recommendations will be co-ordinated with other major initiatives to deliver lasting improvements to the criminal justice system in London."

Further media information

1. The Metropolitan Police Authority has a statutory duty to review all functions of the Metropolitan Police Service under the Local Government Act 1999.

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