Our Criminal Justice Services department provides a pivotal role in bringing together the work of operational police officers and our partners in the criminal justice process in order to strive for the best possible conviction rates, the best possible care of witnesses and victims and the smooth administration of justice.

Staff in this department work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Her Majesty’s Court Services to achieve these outcomes.

When an officer deals with an offender, the resulting documentation will be forwarded to us for appropriate action and disposal. This will include files for those arrested or reported for criminal offences, minor offence reports, road traffic collision reports, fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder.

Following appropriate enquiries, our staff will make a decision as to disposal of each case, seeking advice from CPS in specified matters. This may result in a prosecution at court, a caution, a conditional caution, a reprimand or a final warning for juveniles, or restorative practices. Occasionally, where there is insufficient evidence to proceed, then a decision may be reached that no further action should be taken. The department has a responsibility to update victims and witnesses of the outcome of their cases.

Criminal Justices Services is divided into various teams:

Simple Speedy Summary Justice (SSSJ)
Under Government guidelines, plans have been implemented to improve the speed and effectiveness of the Magistrates’ Court system. This involved the introduction of Simple Speedy Summary Justice in 2006 and latterly Streamline Processing in 2009. These aim to reduce bureaucracy and to reduce the number of court hearings by improving the content of files prior to the first court appearance. This has led to a significant increase in the level of guilty pleas and an ability to set trial dates at first hearing.

The SSSJ Team ensure that these processes work smoothly, working in conjunction with CPS and the courts. They are responsible for ensuring all files are ready for use at court and preparing summonses, dealing with approximately 10,000 summons cases and 8,500 charged files per year.

Case Management and Progression Team (CMAP)

CMAP is responsible for the building, preparation and submission of files after first hearing, including trials and submissions to Crown Court. These amount to approximately 1,000 Crown Court files and 2,000 Magistrates’ Court files.

Case Assessment Officers within the team have a dual responsibility for quality assurance of submitted files and the compilation of case files, bringing together work completed by officers, typists, interview tape summarisers and other staff.

The team also prepare prosecution files for traffic offences where a not guilty plea has been received.

CMAP also includes the Warrants Section who deal with the administration of arrest warrants issued by the courts. They assist with the investigation and execution of these warrants.

A close liaison is maintained with the CPS and the courts to ensure timeliness.

Victim and Witness Services

The Victim and Witness team is a multi-agency unit developed to support victims and witnesses of crime, who are required to attend court to give evidence. This team will liaise with those people on a regular basis, updating them on the progress of the case through the court system and identify any specialist care or support that may be necessary to assist that person to attend court.

Their role is very complex and involves a tailor-made approach for each victim and witness including providing care for dependants, transport, accommodation and other issues. This may also include emotional support or support for those with restricted mobility or specific learning difficulties.

Results and File Clearance

Following the final disposal of all cases, the results team will ensure that the details of the result are entered on the Police National Computer. They will arrange for any property seized by police to be returned to the owner and will update those involved with the case of the outcome.

The team will then archive the files and reports for a specified period before they can be destroyed.

The team also assists members of the public with the completion of requests from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Central Ticket Office

The Central Ticket Office deals with all completed Fixed Penalty Notices issued for minor traffic offences, with Penalty Notices for Disorder and with the Vehicle Defect Restoration Scheme. They also receive details of driver documents produced at the request of police officers.

The office receive approximately 22,000 penalty notices and forms each year. Each penalty notice has to be checked, entered on a database and processed. By working in conjunction with the Courts Payment Office, it can be identified when the relevant penalty has been paid. In the event of non-payment, then subsequent action is implemented.

Road Traffic Collision Team

The RTC Team, which is based at King’s Lynn, process all the reports of road traffic collisions which occur in Norfolk. They liaise with police officers, drivers, witnesses and with insurance companies to ensure that cases are dealt with quickly and effectively.

In the event that an RTC has occurred through the careless actions of a driver, then a decision maker will review all the evidence and decide on a course of action. This may result in a prosecution or, if appropriate, offer a Driver Improvement course, designed to improve a person’s driving skills, thereby making the roads safer.

Safety Camera Partnership

This team operates under the partnership of Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk County Council, the Highways Agency, and NHS Trusts and is responsible for the deployment of safety cameras throughout Norfolk.

The team will process information in relation to offences of excess speed which are detected by the safety cameras, in order that offending drivers can be dealt with appropriately.

In the majority of cases drivers will receive a conditional offer of a fixed penalty payment and penalty points on their driving licence or they have the option of requesting a court hearing.

In cases of high speed, a court hearing may result and in specified cases a driver may be offered a Speed Awareness Course, to educate them with regard to their manner of driving and the danger of excess speed.