Reid's court letter hits police morale


29 January 2007 08:57

Rebecca Gidney, 30, was jailed for 12 months in July 2005 because she took a knife into the toilets of Jarrold’s in London to cut her arms.

Morale among front line police officers in Norfolk has plummeted following home secretary John Reid's calls for judges to jail only the most serious offenders, a union leader said today.

With police forces already facing cuts in numbers, the Police Federation said Mr Reid's letter asking judges to reserve jail sentences only for “serious, persistent and violent offenders” had left officers furious.

Although Mr Reid said he was reinforcing existing sentencing guidelines when he wrote to the judiciary, two judges avoided sending two paedophiles to jail this week because of his plea, which came as the Government struggled to cope with an overcrowding crisis in the country's prisons. In his letter, Mr Reid said the prison population was “running very close to capacity”.

Malcolm Reeve, chairman of the Norfolk Police Federation, said: “A big concern coming from the officers is that they do everything they possibly can to arrest people, only to run the risk of seeing them walk away from court.

“That has a huge effect on officers' morale and also takes up a lot of time and money taking them to court.

“We are often worried about how the public perceives what we do and whether they are getting value for money and when the Government does something like that it is a huge morale blow for hard-working officers.”

Mr Reeve said morale was already fragile following a home office U-turn that slashed £1 million from Norfolk police's budget.

Malcolm and Marlene Girling were jailed for 28 days in 2002 after they breached a court injunction and cut down a hedge that separated their home from that of their neighbours in Witton, near Brundall.

Mr Reeve said: “We already have big concerns about the threat of cuts in funding in Norfolk and we are of the belief that there should be reduction in officer ranks.”

A wing at Norwich Prison, deemed unfit for human habitation, has already been reopened to take prisoners just five days after the last of 250 inmates were emptied from the wing so it could be refurbished.

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb said a junior minister had told him RAF Coltishall was on a list of possible sites for a new jail.

Mr Reid warned today the Home Office was likely to face more problems and embarrassments in the weeks ahead - just as his government office became engulfed in a fresh row.

Ten days ago the Government announced a new prison, 350-place HMP Kennet, was to open in Liverpool in the spring, but the Prisons Officers Association said it had been officially informed that the prison will have to be staffed by officers seconded from other prisons. It was also reported yesterday that Mr Reid was looking at plans to place offenders on “waiting lists”.

The controversial move would see people convicted of crimes as serious as burglary or violent assault ending up on a kind of extended bail while they wait to go to prison.

Mr Reid today likened running his department, which he inherited from Norwich South MP Charles Clarke, to renovating a house, taking the wallpaper off and finding even more problems. He said more problems would emerge in the days ahead.

War veteran Richard Fitzmaurice, 75, above, was sentenced to 32 days in prison in November after he refused to pay his council tax.

Should these people be taking up places in jail?

Rebecca Gidney, 30, was jailed for 12 months in July 2005 because she took a knife into the toilets of Jarrold's in London to cut her arms.

Miss Gidney, of Eaton, was jailed for having a knife in a public place. Jailing her, judge Peter Jacobs said he had no choice but to send her to prison because there was nowhere available for her to get psychiatric help.

Malcolm and Marlene Girling were jailed for 28 days in 2002 after they breached a court injunction and cut down a hedge that separated their home from that of their neighbours in Witton, near Brundall.

War veteran Richard Fitzmaurice, 75, was sentenced to 32 days in prison in November after he refused to pay his council tax. Mr Fitzmaurice, of Heacham, near King's Lynn, withheld his tax in protest that his pension increases were not keeping pace with council tax hikes.



What do you think of John Reid's letter to judges? Are you a serving police officer with a view? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE; e-mail eveningnewsletters @archant.co.uk or visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/ forums

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