A huge backlog has built up in Avon and Somerset Police checking on hundreds of registered sex offenders. Police officers are supposed to regularly visit sex offenders to assess the risk they pose to the public and the chances they might commit another crime.
Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found a lack of resources was causing delays, meaning the police might be ‘unaware’ of the risk of the more than 1,000 registered sex offenders in Bristol, Bath, Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Inspectors said: “The constabulary should make sure that it has processes and resources in place to visit registered sex offenders and manage the risk posed by them. Delays in visiting or risk assessing registered sex offenders means that the constabulary may be unaware of the risk these offenders pose. This restricts how well it can protect the public.”
Avon & Somerset is managing around 1,600 registered sex offenders, who should be visited and assessed for the risk of reoffending. Chief constable Sarah Crew was grilled on the backlog by Clare Moody, the Labour police and crime commissioner, on Wednesday, February 19.
The chief constable said: “Somebody who is a high risk will have very regular visits. When people are convicted, they become registered sex offenders for us to manage. In January 2024, our backlog was 283 out of 1,521 registered sex offenders. Now it’s 185 out of 1,600.
“So I think we have solid progress there. When we look at our very highest [risk] offenders, we have a backlog of less than 10 now, and it’s coming down every day. We are making progress, but it’s against a tide of rising demand.
“The public might not realise that the police do this. It’s a very unseen part of our work, necessarily because of the risk posed by some of these individuals and the need to maintain discretion and confidentiality. This isn’t done by uniformed officers, this is done in a low key way. But actually it’s a very big part of our business, and a growing part.”