A change in the way the police are dealing with the timing of No Further Actions.
As a firm with over 30 years’ criminal law experience, we are alert to changes in the way the police behave at certain points of the investigation process.
An example of this is the increased frequency with which the police are deciding no further actions (NFA) at the end of interview.
A theory for this change is that the police are being placed under pressure financially and are concluding ‘no hope’ investigations.
The National Audit Office released a report in September last year which highlighted the current financial sustainability of the police forces in England and Wales. This review said that Sussex Police has had 30% of its total and central government funding cut over the last 8 years.
The practice we are used to is having the interview with the police to then be told to wait for the police and CPS to consider their decision. This can often take months, if not years – this, of course, is an extremely stressful time.
The statistics above demonstrate a clear need for strong, tactical and thoughtful representation at an interview with the police – as now, a good interview could get a case thrown out on that day.
If this is the course that the police are going to now be taking, an excellent interview will play more of an important role in the investigation than it ever has before, in order to achieve a successful result for our clients.
If you have been called by the police to attend an interview, it is vital that you have representation.
If you would like to be represented by one our associates, please give us a call to speak to a solicitor on 01273 673226. Alternatively, send us an email at [email protected].
If the police have asked to interview you, speak to our Brighton police interview solicitors first. Call 01273 673226.
