Police officers struggle to investigate crimes due to a lack of resources and experience, resulting in victims being let down and a loss of faith in law enforcement, according to an official report. The report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services found that the rate of positive outcomes, where the police identify a suspect and they face justice, has dropped from 25% to 11% over a decade in England and Wales. In contrast, Northern Ireland has seen higher rates of positive outcomes due to increased investment in investigative skills.
Police are often “overwhelmed” by frequent crimes such as assault and burglary, known as “volume crimes”, and struggle to effectively tackle these cases. The report also highlights that police forces could improve their efficiency and suggests that a lack of knowledge about the expected level of volume crime contributes to this issue.
Lee Freeman from the inspectorate stated that not a single investigation team had enough resources, adding that the police could improve victims’ experiences. Over the past years, workloads have increased while the number of police officers has decreased, leading to investigators feeling embarrassed about the service provided.
The report reveals further challenges within the criminal justice system, including delays in bringing cases to court and poor-quality police files sent to the prosecution service. This adds to the strain on the system and hampers the ability of investigators to effectively progress cases. It is also mentioned that victims often face embarrassing situations when they call for updates on their cases.
The Conservative government’s decision to first reduce and then increase police numbers has resulted in an influx of inexperienced officers and staff, contributing to delays in investigations. Charities have expressed concern about the impact on victims and the overall crisis in the criminal justice system.
