The Chief Constable of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary says the force will continue to pursue criminals and make arrests, despite Police chiefs across the country being urged to make fewer arrests to save space in prisons. As reported by the national press, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has issued guidance to forces suggesting that they suspend non-priority arrests as His Majesty’s Prison Service struggles to house the country’s criminals. It has also been advised that planned operations that would result in large numbers of arrests are suspended. It comes after emergency measures were activated – to be used mainly in London and the North East – to keep defendants in police custody, instead of transferring them to Magistrates Court for bail hearings, due to a lack of available cells at remand prisons. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is said to recognise the pressures being faced within the criminal justice system and is said to be working to ensure things happen in a timely manner, but ultimately the issues facing prisons are a matter for the Ministry of Justice, not policing. Chief Constable Scott Chilton has today (Wednesday) said:
“Relentlessly pursuing criminals and giving victims the service they expect from policing remain our core priorities. We continue to be proactive in arresting those who are suspected of committing crimes, targeting prolific offenders and people who are wanted on warrants. “We are arresting more people and bringing them into our custody centres, and this remains our approach. “We are aware of the pressures being faced by our partners within the wider criminal justice system, and working with them to ensure that people can continue to be brought before the courts in a timely manner. We will provide the support required, but we must keep the public safe.”
Commenting on the Chief’s position, Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has said:
“I fully support the Chief’s decision that arrests will continue in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. “The job of the police is to keep the public safe – it is what we pay them to do. Police will continue to arrest suspects as usual so that those who commit crimes and cause harm to others are taken off the streets. “The Chief and I agree continuing to make arrests in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight is the right thing to do. Keeping the public safe will remain the police’s core responsibility despite pressures from the wider criminal justice system. “The overcrowding in prisons is not an issue for policing, it is for the Ministry of Justice to manage”.
