Police have sufficient manpower for all crime investigations

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, emphasized today that police forces have the necessary manpower to investigate all crimes. She stated that following all 'reasonable lines of inquiry' would bring back a sense of common sense and back-to-basics policing. This agreement has been reached by all forces in England and Wales, ensuring that no crime is considered too minor to be probed.

Under this new approach, police officers will be required to take action if there is tangible evidence to pursue, including CCTV footage, vehicle dashcams, or phone tracking. This marks the end of overlooking offenses that are perceived as low level, such as shoplifting, phone muggings, car theft, and criminal damage.

Mrs. Braverman firmly believes that no crime should be considered minor and that police forces have sufficient resources to investigate all offenses without diverting efforts from serious investigations. She highlighted the record number of men and women working on the front line of the police force and expressed the government's commitment to freeing up police time from unnecessary bureaucracy.

The agreement is based on the successful scheme implemented in Greater Manchester, where chief constable Steve Watson announced in May 2021 that all crimes would be investigated, and every reasonable line of inquiry would be followed up. As a result, the force reported a 44% increase in charges in the year leading up to March. It is worth noting that this boost in recruitment comes after years of job cuts due to austerity measures.

This commitment to investigating all crimes is part of a broader 'crime week' of policy announcements planned by the government. It builds upon a previous pledge made by forces to attend every home burglary, as outlined in a new set of standards introduced last year.

FutureCar Staff