I WONDER when the axe is going to fall on the regular news items in
this newspaper extolling the virtues of the Crown Prosecution Service.
In last week's Gazette we are told that they are 'moving forward'.
In February they were 'listening to crime victims and working ever more closely with community groups'.
But now on page two of the Gazette is the report on Ealing CPS which states, from the Inspectorate, that they are performing below the national average with concerns of high staff sickness, unsatisfactory handling of caseloads and poor decision making, and the performance was judged to be 'poor'.
What the public need to know is how many crimes have not been prosecuted because of failure to meet time limits on bringing offenders before the courts? Due to lost paperwork or poor communication within the organisation?
How many more stories of the CPS 'moving forward' do we have to read before they get their house in order, or have they just gone over another cliff this time? How much more propaganda do we have to endure before things really start to improve? This is the question.
L E PORTER Southall
