Police chiefs defy calls to arrest fewer people to ease prison overcrowding crisis

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The Met will ‘never agree’ to pausing necessary arrests The Met’s deputy commissioner confirmed the force had participated in NPCC meetings last week to discuss Operation Early Dawn - a controversial scheme to delay court hearings - and “how the police could support government to ease prison pressures”. We will provide the support required, but we must keep the public safe.” Labour said the Tories’ “mismanagement” of the criminal justice system “cannot go on” as news of the letter broke. He said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to talk about public safety, to talk about the record number of police officers we have in this country - 3,000 more than we had under the last Labour government - delighted to talk about the fact that according to the crime survey, crime is less than half today what it was under the last Labour government.” Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has said the Government has “catastrophically failed to manage the criminal justice system or build the basic prison places promise”. The Labour frontbencher told the House of Commons: “The minister’s response is just shocking, telling people they’ve never had it so good, faced with the crisis in the criminal justice system, I think that shows just how out of touch he is.” NPCC chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “We are working closely with criminal justice system partners to manage demand in the system and ensure that the public are safe.