Fewer Cleveland Police probes lead to court action

Just eight per cent of crimes investigated in the Cleveland Police area resulted in a charge or court summons, new figures show.

Home Office figures show that, of 16,539 investigations concluded in the area between April and June, just 1,376 resulted in charge or summons – 8.3%.

This was down from 13.1% during the same three months in 2020 – the lowest level for the period since comparable records began in 2014.

Of the investigations closed in Cleveland between April and June, 38% were for violence against the person, followed by theft (25%), and criminal damage and arson (14%).

Across England and Wales, the proportion of offenders charged or appearing in court fell from 9.4% to 7.6% – also a record low for the quarter.

Victim Support said the low volume of suspects taken to court has been a "major issue" for a long time, and it has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the support service, added: “This has the real potential of seriously impacting victims’ security and wellbeing while also damaging trust and confidence in the wider criminal justice system.”

Stephanie Boyce, president of The Law Society, said: “Because memories fade over time, there is a risk that evidence given in court will not be as good as if cases were brought promptly, which may affect the outcome.

A Government spokeswoman said changes in charge rates are likely to be the result of more crimes being recorded by police and forces taking on more complex cases which could take longer to resolve.