POLICE are taking longer to investigate cases and bring charges despite a significant fall in recorded crime.<\/p>\n
Investigations are taking nearly 10% longer compared with four years ago, while figures show a 28% drop in crime.<\/p>\n
The Police Federation said the rise in charging times is the result of cuts to police resources. As\u00a0charging is an \u201coperational matter\u201d, the Home Office deferred to the National Police Chiefs Council, which is yet to comment.<\/p>\n
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Across England and Wales, the investigation time that\u00a0led to somebody being charged was 94 days during the first quarter of 2015.<\/p>\n
That figure is 10% higher than it was four years ago, the Ministry of Justice data shows.<\/p>\n
Of all the counties in England and Wales, Essex is currently taking the longest to reach charge at 121 days on average \u2013 nearly twice the average length of time taken in Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Mark Smith, chairman of Essex Police Federation, said the increase was a result of growing pressures on officers, a new police computing system and delays in waiting for forensic evidence to be returned from Kent.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe\u2019ve got fewer resources on the street now, so the officers that are on the streets are also the officers investigating the crimes that they\u2019ve been given.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if they are picking up more and more jobs each day they may not be getting the time to go and investigate those that are waiting for them in their tray.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd officers are being asked for a lot more paperwork before a decision is made on somebody being charged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to get the work done, we want to get the evidence and get criminals in court as quickly as possible. It is frustrating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
See the full report from the BBC\u202fhttp:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-34218982<\/a><\/p>\n