Key Facts

• Nick Smart is the acting president of the Police Superintendents’ Association representing 1,500 members in England and Wales.
• The association welcomes new powers to move people on in rough sleeping situations but notes concerns about long-term solutions.
• Support for police appeals tribunals as a more efficient alternative to judicial review for dismissing officers.
• Advocates for robust vetting measures while acknowledging the need for additional resources.
• Officers can seize knives if there are reasonable grounds to believe they may be used in a criminal act.
• Police forces welcome the power to enter premises without a warrant based on a reasonable belief that stolen goods are present.
• Public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) have been successfully used against nuisance vehicles and wolf-whistling incidents.
• Nicole Jacobs suggested measures to tackle police-perpetrated domestic abuse.
• In recent years, approximately 80% of officers served with gross misconduct papers received no further action.
• Section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 allows constables to enter premises if an inspector is unavailable in certain urgent situations.
• David Lloyd is the Police and Crime Commissioner in Hertfordshire.
• Emily Spurrell is the Police and Crime Commissioner in Merseyside.
• Councillor Sue Woolley represents the Local Government Association.
• Community safety partnerships are important for local partnership working but can be variable due to funding issues.
• People who are aggressively begging or homeless may not be seen as committing a criminal offence by courts or police.
• There is a concern that tighter budgets could shift the duty from local authorities to the police regarding homelessness.
• Councils worked closely with those engaging in rough sleeping during the covid period, providing services and support.
• David Lloyd recommends suspending short custodial sentences.
• There is work underway to vet police officers based on values, not just criminal convictions.
• Officers accused of gross misconduct sometimes wait years for an outcome, highlighting capacity issues within professional standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
• Robert Syms welcomes Mark Fairhurst to give evidence to the Committee.
• Mark Fairhurst is the national chair of the Prison Officers Association and has been a serving prison officer since 1992.
• The UK prison system currently has about 850 spaces left in adult closed male prisons.
• The Government introduced an earlier release scheme to relieve pressure.
• By March or April, the prison system may face a crisis due to increasing demand.
• Serious offenders, particularly sexual offenders, are being forced to serve the entirety of their sentences.
• Usually, they get released at the two-thirds point for good behaviour.
• There is concern about the lack of community supervision if these individuals are not on a licence.