Avon and Somerset Police falls behind on sex offender visits

Mr Shelford said the size of the team managing sex or violent offenders would be increased

A police force has fallen further behind on scheduled sex offenders visits, despite being told to improve.

A report in 2023 found Avon and Somerset Police had 217 overdue visits to registered sex offenders, with one more than eight months behind schedule.

It was revealed at a meeting last week the number has since risen to 273.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew said the force is the "victim of its own success" after putting more convicted rapists on the register.

A report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMIC) last March gave the organisation a rating of "requires improvement" on managing offenders and suspects.

The report then issued advice to "reduce the time taken to conduct visits and risk assessments on registered sex offenders", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

At the time, Police Crime Commissioner (PCC) Mark Shelford, said the size of the team managing sex or violent offenders would be increased, while other offender managers would be trained to ensure there was a "greater pool or resource available to respond to this demand in a flexible way".

'A robust plan'

During a performance and accountability board on 17 January Ms Crew said the increase is "frankly" due to the forces' Operation Bluestone charging more rapists.

"We are victims of our own success," she said.

She said they have detected more online child abuse, with those offenders also joining the register.

Deputy Chief Constable Jon Reilly said another challenge that has caused the problem is increased pressures on the area's criminal justice system's services.

"We have full prisons and full 'approved premises' where people on licence are housed, and that undoubtedly has an impact on the number of sex offenders we are managing in this force area," he said.

"In addition, both nationally and locally there is an increase in the number of registered sex offenders."

"There is still a backlog, we are very clear about what they are and we have a very robust plan to manage them down in the next 12 months in an appropriate way.

"I am confident we will see changes moving forward."