The prison-overcrowding crisis could stop police from taking dangerous suspects off the streets if the shortage of jail places worsens over the coming weeks, Sir Mark Rowley has warned.
The Met Commissioner said his officers would continue trying to arrest people and have them remanded in custody when necessary to protect the public. But he said he was “worried” that a likely deterioration in the prison overcrowding crisis would lead to a situation where it was no longer possible “to keep pushing things into the system if the system completely jams”.
“A couple of weeks ago nationally we had quite a blip in prison over capacity which caused some disruption but was generally manageable. If, as I understand is likely, we head towards that becoming a sustained picture over the coming weeks, I am worried about the effect that will have,” Sir Mark said.
“Clearly, we will do everything we can do to keep arresting and charging and seeking remands [in custody] that we always would do to protect the public but it won’t always be in our gift to keep pushing things into the system if the system completely jams.”
The Met Commissioner’s warning follows a row last month over a letter, prompted by Government concerns about a lack of jail spaces, in which the National Police Chiefs’ Council asked forces to consider pausing “non-priority” arrests to avoid putting further pressure on prison capacity.
The Met hit back at the time, telling its officers to continue making all arrests necessary. Since then, inmates have continued to be released early as part of an intensified effort to stop prisons running out of room.
But with upward pressure on demand for cells still being caused by the court trial backlog, longer sentences and police efforts to increase the number of sexual predators and other dangerous offenders being brought to justice, Sir Mark’s latest remarks indicate that he fears that some restrictions on his force’s ability to continue putting suspects behind bars could be imposed.
The Commissioner’s comments came during evidence to the London Policing Board in which he also highlighted the way in which increasing numbers of offenders were exploiting the record Crown Court trial backlog by pleading not guilty in the hope of using the delays to escape conviction.
He said: “The criminal justice system is still a long way from recovering from Covid and other challenges and the backlogs in London are the biggest in the country proportionately.
“We have seen it generate negative feedback in the system in as much as defendants have increased their not guilty plea rate because they see a system that is struggling. The guilty versus not guilty rate has changed quite dramatically and that’s added more heat into the system.
“Basically you have got criminals exploiting a weakness in the system.”
The Bar Council, which represents the country’s barristers, has also warned that the trial backlog is leading to more defendants pleading not guilty. The reasons include a hope that victims and witnesses will give up on the fight for justice or that memories fade, making it more difficult for prosecutors to secure convictions.
