Commissioner calls for "offender pays" ideas
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd’s
ground breaking ideas on making offenders pay for the costs of
services that they use and generate have really got people talking,
both locally and nationally.
Damian Green, the Government’s Policing Minister has responded
positively to the proposals, saying: “It’s why we needed Police and
Crime Commissioners. There are more people out there thinking very
hard about the criminal justice system and coming up with new
ideas, so I will be looking at his ideas very carefully.”
The range of television and print media has shown interest in
David Lloyd’s consultation proposals. There has been television
coverage on BBC Look East and London Tonight. Radio coverage has
included BBC London and Three Counties Radio and LBC. The
Commissioner’s twitter account has generated considerable comment
on the new ideas. The publicity started when nearly all of
Hertfordshire’s local papers covered the original New Year message
where this idea was first mentioned.
As well as charging those offenders detained in police custody
for their food and accommodation a number of other areas are being
explored. These include:
1. Suing offenders that injure police officers causing them to
take time off work;
2. A greater emphasis on recovering assets from criminal
empires;
3. Considering the introduction of offender funded “anger
management” courses for those offenders convicted of violent
behaviour;
4. Ensuring that vehicles that are seized for not having tax and
insurance are not draining police resources;
5. Expanding speed awareness courses and ensuring that offenders
meet the full cost of the programme and associated activity;
6. Exploration of ways of recovering case preparation and police
courts time;
7. Increasing the recovery of fixed penalty notices and other
financial penalties.
The fine details of the proposal, which is part of a raft of
ideas to make sure that offenders pay for their behaviour, are
being developed. Work is taking place within the Commissioner’s
office and the Constabulary to further develop these ideas-
exploring legal and practical issues. David Lloyd is also calling
for the public and other interested parties to suggest further ways
that offenders could meet the costs of the services they incur.
David Lloyd said;
“I am delighted by the interest that my ideas have generated. I
wanted to start a conversation across the county and it is becoming
clear that people think offenders should be paying for the
consequences of their actions, not the local tax payer. Offenders
have choices, if you don’t commit crime you have nothing to fear
but if you do, you can be sure that we will be coming after you
through the courts and through your wallets. I wanted to get these
ideas out at an early stage so people can help me shape the
policy.”
The Commissioner will publish further details of his
‘offender-pays’ proposals in the next couple of months as part of
his Police and Crime Plan. This will also include a range of other
new ideas such as enabling communities to tackle local speeding
concerns with support from the police.