Key Facts

• Harvey Redgrave is the chief executive of Crest Advisory.
• Rebecca Bryant OBE is the chief executive of Resolve, a membership organisation focused on community safety and antisocial behaviour.
• Witnesses discuss clauses in the Criminal Justice Bill related to dispersal orders, public spaces protection orders, community protection notices, closure orders, and civil injunctions.
• The statement refers to the 'prolific and other priority offenders programme'.
• Crest Advisory’s team was seconded to support Baroness Casey's review of misconduct in the Met police.
• Clause 73 focuses on ethical policing and the duty of candour.
• Rebecca Bryant does not support reducing the minimum age for CPNs to 10.
• The Vagrancy Act 1824 is outdated and will be repealed by the Bill.
• Community rehabilitation and support are considered essential in dealing with rough sleeping.
• Rebecca Bryant acknowledges mixed views among her members regarding reducing the age for CPNs from 14 to 10.
• Some organisations suggested reducing the age to 14 instead of 10, particularly when considering antisocial behavior rather than criminal responsibility.
• Bryant notes that if a CPN is applicable at age 10, there would be other significant issues within the family environment.
• Andy Marsh is chief executive and chief constable of the College of Policing for England and Wales.
• Andy Cooke is Her Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary and fire and rescue services.
• The College has rewritten the code of practice for vetting and will launch a new authorised professional practice to set rigorous standards.
• The College of Policing will work on a change programme over many months—possibly years—to secure cultural change in policing.
• Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman authored the retail crime action plan, which aims to address low charge rates for retail crimes.
• Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspections are conducted every two years across England and Wales.
• Andy Marsh supports a new offence targeting persistent retail crime offenders.
• The proposal would allow police access to DVLA driving licence databases for facial recognition searches.
• Clause 74 introduces an appeal mechanism for officers dismissed by misconduct panels.
• Andy Marsh provides an anecdote about being falsely accused of rape and named as a suspect.
• He believes in fairness and justice for victims but warns against automatic suspension policies due to ambiguity in situations.
• A police officer was put on light duties after being considered a risk to children and later convicted of abusing 19 teenage boys.
• The College of Policing is responsible for professional standards within policing.
• A super-complaint review was conducted by the College of Policing, Independent Office for Police Conduct, and HMICFRS to address weaknesses in handling domestic abuse allegations against police officers.
• Andy Marsh emphasizes ensuring consistency in the interpretation of reasonable grounds and belief through training and legal testing.
• When a complaint reaches a threshold of gross misconduct or criminal activity, the deputy chief constable needs to decide on appropriate action.
• If an allegation involves domestic abuse, verbal or physical violence, or coercive control, the officer would likely be suspended.
• Next year, a professionalising neighbourhood policing programme will be introduced to provide better training and skills for officers.
• The Victims and Prisoners Bill is still going through Parliament with hopes for improvements in the Lords.
• There are 65,000 cases backlogged at courts post-pandemic.
• Prisons are currently full.
• Clause 30 addresses assessing and managing risk posed by coercive behaviour in intimate or family relationships.
• Clause 22 compels defendants to attend court for sentencing but is seen as adding nothing new to existing law.
• There are concerns about criminalising the provision of means for serious self-harm under clauses 11 and 12.
• DAPOs allow for GPS monitoring.
• Cross-working is important between those applying for DAPOs and MAPPA.
• The protection for women from serious coercive control should be included in statute rather than a statutory instrument.
• MAPPA does not currently cover all cases of domestic abuse leading to murder.
• The legislation aims to increase awareness and improve the response to intimate image offences.
• Deepfake technology is not banned or addressed in the current Bill.
• Jonathan Hall is the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.
• Clause 31 of the Criminal Justice Bill addresses counter-terrorism measures.
• The clause allows the Secretary of State to designate former offenders as terrorist offenders for polygraph testing purposes.
• Angela Eagle thanked the witness for giving evidence.
• Professor Penney Lewis was introduced as the commissioner for criminal law at the Law Commission of England and Wales.
• The Bill includes provisions on intimate image abuse, corporate criminal liability, and encouraging serious self-harm.
• Schedule 4 of the Bill aims to simplify and modernise post-conviction confiscation procedures.
• The Law Commission's recommendations were partially implemented in the Online Safety Act 2023.
• The schedule implements many of the project's recommendations swiftly after its publication over a year ago.
• The reforms aim to improve enforcement and asset seizure, limit unrealistic orders, and enable quicker victim compensation.
• It is estimated that the reforms could lead to an extra £8 million in funds being retrieved from criminals annually.
• The Law Commission recommends equalising the treatment of all protected characteristics in relation to stirring up hatred.
• The Government responded to only one recommendation from the hate crime report, accepting the removal of sex or gender as a basis for aggravated offences or enhanced sentencing.
• Most other recommendations from the hate crime report remain unaddressed by the Government.
• The statement ends the time allotted for Committee questions.
• No further action or proposal is made beyond concluding the session.