Responding to reports that the police are being urged to consider making fewer arrests due to lack of prison space Rupert Matthews, PCC for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said the move would undermine the work to improve trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
"One of the key deterrents to criminal behaviour is the possibility that it could result in a stay in prison. I, and the public, expect the police to arrest offenders. And that is what I expect to see happening in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. I have made it quite clear that I do not expect to see any type of arrests ‘paused'," he said.
"I have asked the Chief Constable to keep me informed of the situation in our force area, as I believe it is not as critical as in other parts of the country. And that's the way it must stay.
"The public has had enough. The UK's Criminal Justice System used to be held up as a beacon of best practice. That is not the case today. If our prisons are overcrowded, then clearly we need more prisons, not less prisoners. We need to vastly improve and increase the support to those needing mental health provision. Being ill is not a crime and no-one should be penalised for that. And I have to ask, if our prisons are so overcrowded and we have so many criminals from overseas residing there, why don't we simply deport those people, instead of keeping them at the expense of the public purse?
"I remain committed to crime prevention, but that's to keep the public safe, not lessen the burden on the prison service, although to be fair it does that too. I am reassured to know that there will be no respite for Leicestershire offenders. The police will continue to arrest and charge those who break the law."
