Should the identities of arrested suspects be made public by the police before they have been charged with an offence?
Suspect anonymity: Should arrested persons be named by the police? (287 KB , PDF)
Should the identities of arrested suspects be made public by the police before they have been charged with an offence? Some commentators argue that doing so encourages more victims to come forward, while others argue that it can cause irreparable damage to reputations. New guidance was issued by the College of Policing in May 2013 and the Law Commission recently consulted on the issue in relation to contempt of court (but is yet to respond). This note provides an overview of the debate and developments.
Suspect anonymity: Should arrested persons be named by the police? (287 KB , PDF)
This briefing looks at statistics on gun crime in England and Wales. It uses police recorded crime data to evaluate trends over time and to compare crime between police force areas, with a section focusing specifically on gun crime in London. Type of offence and type of weapon used are also analysed, as well as age and ethnicity of victims.
This Commons Library briefing paper discusses police stop and search powers. It outlines a recent history of their reform and available evidence on their effectiveness at reducing and detecting crime.
This Commons Library briefing paper discusses police powers to conduct "strip searches". It outlines the procedures for conducting strip searches; the available evidence on the use of strip searches; and recent debate about the impact they can have.
