You may have heard last week in the news that heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury is calling for tougher sentences for those involved in knife crime after his cousin, Rico Burton, was stabbed to death in Manchester. Fury described knife crime in Britain as a ‘pandemic’ and I agree with him. Then over the weekend, […]

To mark International Women’s Day, Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones praises inspiring female leaders, gives her support to female progression and stands up for female victims.

“It’s important that steps are taken to reduce the backlogs and these powers will help to get swifter justice for victims. My local criminal justice partners have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep cases moving through the courts as the COVID restrictions have meant a reduced number of cases can be heard in our courts.

PCC Donna Jones sad: “Following the tragic incident in Plymouth, my thoughts remain with the families of those who died and the police officers who were first on the scene. This cannot and must not happen again.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has welcomed the Government’s Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy which emphasises partnership working, prevention and the need to be victim focused.

Since I was elected as Police Commissioner on 6 May, I have worked with Hampshire Police to prevent the illegal racing of horse and traps on public roads across Hampshire. These races are highly lucrative, with large sums of money being made from illegal gambling and horses being raced in poor conditions.

The APCC’s joint Victim’s Leads, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones and London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden, have responded to today’s report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “I welcome the HMICFRS inspection into domestic abuse support during the pandemic. I echo the praise in the report for Hampshire Constabulary and commissioned charities.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, comments on Hampshire Constabulary being first to go live with Common Platform and the Single Justice Service. “Anything that speeds up the process and makes its quicker and easier for people to plead guilty and the case to be concluded sooner, is welcome.”

Youth Commission member Maddie Davis has written about her experience of joining and working with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Youth Commission, and how it helped her own wellbeing, during times when her mental health was dangerously low.

“Victims of rape have been let down by the criminal justice system for too long. I am seriously concerned about the drop in rape cases leading to charge and convictions.”

Recently members of the Youth Commission got the opportunity to meet, once again, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to learn about and discuss the topic of county lines. This type of crime falls into our priority area of exploitation, as the success of these networks relies on the exploitation of vulnerable people. It also has close links to our priority area of serious violence.

Geoff Davis, Head of Operations from the South Central Region of the National Probation Service shares his thoughts on the impact of the last year on probation services, the rewriting of human contact and the hidden heroes in probation.

Chloe Jay, Defence Solicitor and member of the Local Criminal Justice Board outlines the challenges COVID has had over the last year, in particular the difficulties in delivering defence remotely, the serious impact of the last year on defence practitioners’ health and the significant impact of the delays on victims, witnesses and defendants – justice delayed is justice denied.

Joanne Jakymec, Chief Crown Prosecutor and member of the Local Criminal Justice Board talks about the tremendous effort from all criminal justice partners to ensure that justice could continue to be delivered throughout the pandemic, the importance of minimising the impact on victims and witnesses and how proud she is of the dedication and flexibility of CPS staff.   

Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney and Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board talks about how when the pandemic hit, policing started from the position of protecting the NHS and saving lives. The Chief  Constable outlines the importance of staff wellbeing, how the job of policing shifted with new laws and responsibilities, balancing the restrictions with the 4Es policing approach and the impact on the wider criminal justice system.

To mark national Justice Week, partners working in the Local Criminal Justice Board are sharing their views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the system over the last year.

This Hate Crime Awareness week, members of the Youth Commission were invited to an exclusive, albeit virtual, workshop with the Wessex branch of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss all things hate crime with the legal experts – from the sentences, to rehabilitation, to the technicalities of protected characteristics. […]

We in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner are committed to being accessible to and inclusive of all of the communities and people we serve.

Keeping people safe is everyone’s top priority, but we recognise that for some staying home is not as safe as it is for others. Sadly, there are examples in our communities, which we should all be alert to notice. It is important that anyone who is being abused at home knows they can still call the police and that there is help out there from local and national support services who continue to provide advice and assistance to those in need.