Court move away from Telford hitting police resources, says chief
Police time and resources are being affected by a move to hear remand cases in a court outside Shropshire, the region's crime commissioner has said.
John Campion, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, was speaking after a leading Shropshire solicitor hit out at the impact of the decision to conduct remand hearings at Kidderminster Magistrates Court instead of Telford.
However, the Ministry of Justice has said there is no evidence to suggest the changes have led to more defendants waiting for a court, or cases not being heard with 24 hours, as was claimed.
Mr Campion had opposed the move to switch remand hearings to a venue outside the county.
He has said that the full impact of the change is not yet clear, and he is intent on continuing to monitor the situation.
He said: “I have clearly and consistently said that I was strongly against the centralisation of remand hearings in West Mercia and that is still the case. I believe our communities need local access to justice. This change removes that for many people.
“It is too early to know the full impact, however as was predicted, so far the new arrangements are having a negative impact on police time and resources.
"I will continue to monitor this over an extended period of time as well as working with partners as appropriate."
A spokesman for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service said: "We are investing over £1 billion to reform and modernise the justice system – to deliver swifter justice and provide better value for the taxpayer.
“Following a public consultation, remand cases were moved from Telford to Kidderminster Magistrates Court to improve listings and trial management at Telford.
“There is no evidence to suggest that there has been a significant increase in the numbers of defendants awaiting an available court, or that cases are not being heard within 24 hours.”
Earlier this week Stephen Scully, a solicitor with Lanyon Bowdler and a member of Shropshire Advocates Group, said that lawyers are concerned at the impact of the changes.
Mr Scully said the move has meant more people occupying the cells in Kidderminster, potentially creating a safety risk, and an increased cost for the tax payer for travel warrants, which defendants use to pay for their return from Kidderminster.
He said the situation was putting people in "inhumane and degrading" conditions.
He said: "They are doubling up on people in cells trying to fit people in and we are very concerned something is going to happen, if people are cramped up there and locked up for 24 hours plus. It is a potential powder keg."
Mr Scully also said there had been reports of police officers having time taken up by having to drive documents to Kidderminster for cases.
He said: "We are also aware, although it might have been resolved, that police officers have had to drive down to Kidderminster to take papers down there.
"That is not an effective use of tax payers' money, acting as a courier service."
