Dated: 25 April 2023
POLICY TITLE: Offences to be Taken into Consideration
OWNING DIRECTORATE: Criminal Justice
AUTHOR: Chief Superintendent, Criminal Justice and Custody
CONTACT DETAILS: 101
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT: Complete
AUTHORISED PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (APP) NATIONAL GUIDANCE: Available
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AIM OF POLICY: To provide every individual who is arrested with an opportunity to admit further similar offences with a decision being made as to whether to have these offences taken into consideration at Court.
BENEFIT OF POLICY: The policy provides clarity regarding the use of offences to be taken into consideration.
REASON FOR POLICY: The Force acknowledges every individual's right to a fair trial afforded by Article 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
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Northumbria Police is committed to:
- Increasing detections for crime by primary means
- Increasing public satisfaction
- Taking whatever measures are available to the Force to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice system, and
- To the ethical outcome of crime.
In order to achieve this the Force will provide every individual who is arrested with an opportunity to admit further similar offences, and a decision will then be made whether to charge or whether it may be possible, depending on the circumstances, to have these offences taken into consideration at Court. Detainees will also be informed it is not Force policy to routinely conduct interviews after sentence and, if further offences come to light, individuals are likely to be arrested and dealt with for the further offences on completion of their sentence.
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SOURCE DOCUMENT: N/A
GROUPS AFFECTED: All police officers.
ACCESS AND DISCLOSURE RESTRICTIONS: None
