Cambridgeshire Police Federation has urged the Government to reconsider plans that could see offenders convicted of killing police officers become eligible for earlier release under proposed sentencing reforms.
The comments follow the Government’s announcement of changes to the Sentencing Act, which will prevent offenders convicted of rape, grooming and the most serious child sexual offences from benefiting from the revised early release scheme.
However, those convicted of killing police officers have not been included among the exclusions.
Cambridgeshire Police Federation secretary Kevin Misik said the omission sends the wrong message to officers who risk their lives protecting the public every day.
Kevin: “The Government has acknowledged that certain offenders pose such a serious risk that they should not qualify for early release. It is therefore difficult to understand why those convicted of killing police officers have not been treated in the same way.
“Police officers go to work every day knowing they may face violence, but they do so because they are committed to keeping their communities safe. When an officer is killed in the line of duty, it is an attack not only on that individual but on policing as a whole.
“Allowing those responsible for such crimes to become eligible for earlier release undermines the sacrifices officers make and risks damaging confidence in the justice system among both the public and the police service.”
Under the proposals, around 5,000 additional prisoners are expected to be released early in 10 phases from October, alongside the approximately 4,500 prisoners who already leave prison each month.
The changes have reignited concerns over the case of Thames Valley Police officer PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in August 2019 after being dragged behind a vehicle while responding to the theft of a quad bike.
Two of those convicted over PC Harper’s death, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were each sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment and could be eligible for release after serving half of their sentences under the new arrangements.
Kevin added: “The murder of PC Andrew Harper remains a painful reminder of the dangers police officers face. His family, friends and colleagues continue to live with the consequences of that horrific crime every day.
“Those who take the life of a police officer while they are serving the public should expect to serve the full sentence imposed by the courts. Anything less risks eroding trust in our justice system and sends entirely the wrong message about the value we place on those who protect us.”
Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Tiff Lynch has also voiced concerns over the proposals, warning that allowing those responsible for the deaths of police officers to be released earlier would undermine public confidence in the justice system, cause further distress to bereaved families and fail to reflect the seriousness of the offence.
A petition calling for those responsible for PC Andrew Harper’s death to be excluded from early release has also been launched.