Lines of Duty
Following a Home Office pronouncement last week that police are to follow “all reasonable lines of enquiry” in their approach to tackling crime, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne has promised that new guidance to this effect is being issued to Sussex Police.
No crime investigations will now be screened out, she says, solely on the basis that they are perceived as ‘minor’.
The Home Secretary had observed that “if any crime type is unchecked, public confidence is undermined”. Ms Bourne said she agreed. “What is often considered a minor incident by police can, in reality, have a severely negative impact for an individual. From the first contact with police after reporting an incident, the public rightly expect that something will happen as a result, particularly when there are reasonable lines of enquiry that can be followed.”
She identified shoplifting, drug possession, car theft, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour as crimes which “make people’s lives miserable, so we should not give criminals a pass to an easy life.” Sussex Police were now committed “to pursuing all reasonable lines of enquiry where there appears to be available evidence to support a potential prosecution”.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply