Police will be encouraged to disclose the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile and sensitive investigations under new guidance, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says.It is aimed at reducing the risk to public safety where there are high levels of misinformation about an incident or in cases of significant public interest.Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the government will want police to release these details in “most cases” in what she welcomed as a positive step.It comes after a series of high-profile cases including that of two men, reported to be Afghan asylum seekers, charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old in Warwickshire.Welcoming the new guidance, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Public trust requires transparency and consistency from the authorities that serve them.”The guidance, which comes into immediate effect, forms part of a wider review of the College of Policing’s professional practice for media relations.The NPCC said the guidance would reaffirm that verifying a suspect’s immigration status was not the police’s responsibility.Decisions on releasing such information will remain with police forces, with wider legal and ethical considerations also taken into account, the NPCC said.”It is for the Home Office to decide if it is appropriate in all the circumstances to confirm immigration status,” the council said.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC last week that there needed to be “more transparency in cases” over the background of suspects.The NPCC said the new guidance aimed to ensure policing was more consistent, fair and transparent, as well as addressing possible mis and disinformation.The change was …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnPolice will be encouraged to disclose the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile and sensitive investigations under new guidance, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says.It is aimed at reducing the risk to public safety where there are high levels of misinformation about an incident or in cases of significant public interest.Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the government will want police to release these details in “most cases” in what she welcomed as a positive step.It comes after a series of high-profile cases including that of two men, reported to be Afghan asylum seekers, charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old in Warwickshire.Welcoming the new guidance, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Public trust requires transparency and consistency from the authorities that serve them.”The guidance, which comes into immediate effect, forms part of a wider review of the College of Policing’s professional practice for media relations.The NPCC said the guidance would reaffirm that verifying a suspect’s immigration status was not the police’s responsibility.Decisions on releasing such information will remain with police forces, with wider legal and ethical considerations also taken into account, the NPCC said.”It is for the Home Office to decide if it is appropriate in all the circumstances to confirm immigration status,” the council said.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC last week that there needed to be “more transparency in cases” over the background of suspects.The NPCC said the new guidance aimed to ensure policing was more consistent, fair and transparent, as well as addressing possible mis and disinformation.The change was …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
