Legislation change to free up more officers
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Jason Crofts (Police, PC 1146, West Bassetlaw, East Bassetlaw & Sherwood)
A change in police legislation is set to speed up the way officers deal with offenders who have committed low-level crimes.
The Code G Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) amendment is introduced on Monday 12 November.
Prior to the changes a suspect would be arrested and taken to a custody suite, where they could spend several hours, removing the investigating officer from front line duties to spend time in a custody suite, queuing, interviewing and consulting the CPS.
The legislation changes now mean that if a suspect has been identified and other evidence such as forensic samples, bail conditions or property searches is not required, they do not have to be arrested and booked into a custody suite.
Instead they can attend one of a number of voluntary attendance suites which have been set up across the Force.
This means people suspected of low-level crime such as public order, low value thefts and no injury common assault, where the suspect is known, can be interviewed under caution, without spending hours in a custody cell.
Supt Brian Beasley said: “This national change in legislation provides my officers a more efficient process to interview suspects about an offence without the need for untimely detention.
“This isn’t a soft touch, there are only specific offences which can be dealt with in this way, and even those can still result in a summons to court.
“It does allow for some specific types of crime to be dealt with much quicker, and for police officers to get back out on patrol.
“The statutory power of arrest remains, but this change will allow officers to think about the necessity to arrest, and make a decision as to whether voluntary attendance at a police station is a proportionate way of dealing with the offence.
“There is nothing to suggest spending hours in a cell makes any difference to suspects and this option reduces the cost to the taxpayer, as well as returning officers back to deal with emergencies elsewhere in the county.”