Request
My question is in relation to Police Bail only, ie those who have been arrested due to reasonable suspicion they have committed an offence, but have not been charged. This question is only in relation to those aged 25 or under.
A
Over the past 12 months, please provide the percentage of people 25 and under who have had their Police bail extended beyond the initial return date given when first arrested. Please provide the reasons given for extending their Police bail beyond the initial date.
B
Please provide the percentage of people aged 25 or under who have been on Police bail for 28 days or more.
C
Of those whose Police bail has gone beyond 28 days, please state percentage of those from 28 to 56 days, 56 days to 112 days, More than 112 days.
D
Please provide the number of people aged 25 or under who have been on Police bail over the past 12 months.
Response
A
In 2019, there were 335 enquiries where individuals, 25 or under were arrested and given ‘Police bail’ to return at a later date. Of these, 46 individuals were given further ‘Police bail’, extending their original bail (13.7%). Most cases led to a charge and a court appearance, or Parish hall enquiry. Some cases were concluded without charge.
Some individuals were arrested more than once in 2019 and some cases are still ongoing.
Police bail is given when further enquiries are needed to gather evidence prior to charging a suspect. Juveniles who are arrested late at night are usually bailed to their parents. They can then return for interview during normal daytime hours.
Police bail may be given if further statements are to be taken from victims or witnesses, medical reports need to be obtained, CCTV evidence need to be gathered and examined, evidence needs to be forensically examined (weapons, clothing and so on), computers need to be imaged and examined, scenes of serious traffic incidents need to be examined and reports completed, expert witness or legal advice may need to be canvased.
Sometimes the individuals may be at university in the UK and cannot re-attend until the end of next term. Serious fraud enquiries may involve numerous separate frauds that require extensive investigation. DNA samples may need examination. More than one suspect may be involved and Identification may be an issue.
Police are often faced with complex enquiries that sometime take a considerable amount of time. It is in the interests of all parties that these enquiries are completed accurately and diligently.
B
Of the 46 who had bail extended (some were arrested more than once in 2019), 24 enquiries were completed within 28 days. 26 enquiries were extended beyond 28 days.
C
Of the 26 enquiries where bail extended beyond 28 days;
nine enquiries had bail extended between 28-56 days, 2.6% of the total bailed;
seven enquiries had bail extended between 56-112 days, 2% of the total bailed; and
10 enquiries had bail extended over 112 days, 3% of the total bailed.
All of these cases required extended enquiries due to the complex nature of the case. No individual details will be given as information may lead to the identification of the suspects by some members of the public.
D
In 2019, there were 335 enquiries where individuals aged 25 or under, were released on police bail.
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