Correspondence

Crime and policing news update: April 2014

Published 24 April 2014

1. Review of police powers under the Mental Health Act

The government is reviewing the operation of Sections 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. These powers allow the police to take a person experiencing a mental health crisis to a ‘place of safety’, so that a mental health assessment can be carried out and appropriate arrangements made for their care. As part of the review, an online survey has been launched to gather the views of police officers, health professionals and other practitioners on the operation of these powers. The survey will run until Tuesday 3 June.

The Home Office and Department of Health will also carry out a series of visits, practitioner workshops, and use focus groups to understand the experiences of people who have been detained under these parts of the Act, their families, friends and carers.

The review will make recommendations to Home Office and Department of Health ministers in the autumn.

2. Consultation on sentencing guideline for thieves

The Sentencing Council has launched a consultation on its draft guideline for theft offences. The proposed guideline is designed to help those sentencing thieves deal with this wide spectrum of offenders, as well as ensure a greater focus is given to the impact on victims beyond the financial value of what is stolen.

The council is keen to hear from police, magistrates, people who work in the criminal justice system and other interested parties about issues such as: factors that make any of the offences more serious or less serious; factors that should influence the sentence; and the types and lengths of sentences that should be passed.

The consultation is open until 26 June, and you can find more information on the Sentencing Council’s website.

3. Social justice month

April is social justice month, which highlights the work government is taking to tackle the root causes of inequality in our society. In 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions published Social Justice: Transforming Lives, which explains the government’s plans to give disadvantaged individuals the support they need to turn their lives around.

A number of Home Office programmes directly support the government’s social justice agenda, such as the Integrated offender management (IOM) which brings the police and other partner agencies together to tackle the most persistent and serious offenders at a local community level.

A number of events took place throughout April, and you find out more on the Social Justice website. The website also has personal accounts of how social justice initiatives have helped people transform their lives.

4. College publishes digital capabilities for police forces

On the 1 April, the College of Policing wrote to all Chief Constables and PCCs, the Policing Minister and HMIC, publishing a list of digital capabilities (to access this link you will need to be registered on POLKA). The capabilities describe what a digital police force will look like from the perspective of the public and the frontline officer as well as how it links in with Criminal Justice partners and will be key for forces and PCCs when developing their digital strategies. The capabilities will inform HMIC’s assessment of how a force is using digital technology to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

The capabilities were developed as part of the College’s Digital Pathfinder initiative which all 43 forces in England and Wales have now signed up to. It is bringing together forces to share good practice, will help to identify national requirements for consideration and can feed into work PCCs are leading around collaboration, innovation and value for money. As well as the digital capabilities, the College has also published a report which maps the activities of the first 21 forces who signed up to be a pathfinder. It includes what forces are currently working on and can be used as a point of reference for any force looking to progress on digitisation.

5. World Cup licensing hours

The Home Office recently published its response to its consultation on the relaxation of licensing hours during the World Cup. Following the consultation, the government has decided to extend licensing hours for up to four hours, which will only apply for England’s World Cup matches with a scheduled kick off time of 8pm or later. The relaxation will apply in England and will cover the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment for consumption on licensed premises.

6. New uniforms for Border Force and Immigration Enforcement staff

Border Force and Immigration Enforcement staff have been wearing a new single core uniform with redesigned epaulettes since March. The new epaulettes incorporate the easily recognisable insignia of a chevron, star, crown and portcullis. These symbols reflect the strong links with law enforcement, parliament and the crown, with the portcullis representing the gates of the UK. Border Force and Immigration Enforcement uniformed staff will wear this core uniform at all times.

7. Speeches

The Home Secretary’s speech to the Vatican Conference on human trafficking

Damian Green’s speech to the NSPCC’s child safety conference about the government’s work to stamp out online sexual exploitation:

Damian Green’s speech to Police Innovation Fund bidders’ event.