Police chief: Early prisoner release 'worrying'

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Paul Gibson says the early release of prisoners is "worrying" for victims

The chief constable of Lincolnshire Police said the early release of prisoners was "worrying" for victims of crime.

Paul Gibson said it was also "obviously a concern" to officers in the force.

About 1,750 prisoners were released early from prisons across England and Wales last week.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the early release scheme was necessary because it had "inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse".

'Obviously a concern'

Mr Gibson said: "I can understand from a victim's point of view - and of course we must always look through those eyes - that will be a worrying kind of issue."

However, he said the issue in Lincolnshire was "quite low" and said the force was still working to ensure high-risk prisoners would still be remanded in custody before going on trial.

In response to a question about the impact early prisoner release was having on police morale, Mr Gibson said it was "obviously a concern because we're still having to manage the implications of it.

"But we are very good at being innovative and making sure that we make the best of the situation we're in."

Chief Constable Paul Gibson took part in BBC Radio Lincolnshire's The Hotseat with Frances Finn

In "The Hotseat" on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and BBC Sounds, presenter Frances Finn asked the chief constable about a variety of issues.

When asked about the number of "bobbies on the beat" in Lincolnshire, Mr Gibson said: "Frankly, no - there isn't sufficient."

"I, as chief constable, as you'd expect, have to prioritise. I think it's always useful to talk about the visibility of policing which is hugely important to communities," Mr Gibson said.

"But what I have to manage is the risk around hidden crime. So this is crime that is the most serious but is not experienced by that many people in the county."

The previous chief constable, Chris Haward, described Lincolnshire Police as "the lowest funded force in the UK".

Police funding

In August, the county's Police and Crime Commissioner launched a judicial review against the Home Office over the way it calculates how much money is allocated to police forces.

Marc Jones claimed the force is one of the worst funded in the country per resident, saying the current formula relies on "outdated" population statistics and metrics.

The Home Office declined to comment citing ongoing legal proceedings.

Mr Gibson agreed Lincolnshire does not receive as much money per head of population compared with similar forces.

He said, if Lincolnshire Police's number of officers went up to the average of those forces, it would "expect to get 500 extra officers."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Follow BBC Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]