Police informed arresting fewer folks will ease overcrowded prisons | UK | News | EUROtoday

Police are being directed to make fewer arrests to scale back the stress on Britain’s overcrowded prisons.

Forces chiefs are mentioned to have been suggested to think about scaling again non-urgent arrests and likewise to droop operations that will set off “large numbers of arrests” as a result of lack of capability throughout the jail’s property in England and Wales.

The measures emerged in a memo to chief constables drawn up by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) seen by the Times newspaper. It didn’t specify the type of offences or operations concerned.

The jail inhabitants, which elevated by 5,200 within the 12 months to June 2023, has outpaced a rise within the variety of cells out there.

According to the newspaper, the memo said: “Consideration is to be given to pausing non-priority arrests and any planned operations where large numbers of arrests may take place to ease the pressure within the criminal justice system.

“Notwithstanding public protection remains a priority and a considered threat, harm and risk assessment is to be completed when considering any pause in police operations.”

Sources informed the Times large-scale protest and public occasions requiring a police presence remained a precedence and should not be ignored by forces.

A authorities spokesman mentioned: “Public safety will always be our first priority. That is why we have backed our police with the officers and resources they need to keep our streets safe and are introducing new laws to lock up the most dangerous offenders for longer while delivering the biggest prison expansion programme in 100 years.

“We continue to see pressure on our jails following the impact of the pandemic and barristers’ strike and have initiated a previously used operational measure to securely transfer prisoners between courts and custody.”