Evidence ‘unsafe’ when police are not in office

POLICE working from home increases the risk that criminals could steal confidential evidence, a former chief prosecutor has said.

Nazir Afzal, who was the chief crown prosecutor for North West England until 2016, warned that officers conducting their inquiries at home raises concerns about the protection of confidential documents. His remarks come after this newspaper revealed that detectives are investigating rapes and murders from home, including in areas with some of the worst crime rates.

“There is an issue around confidentiality of material,” Mr Afzal said. “Invariably a police station is rather difficult to get into. But your home isn’t as secure, if you have critical material that you are keeping on a computer for example, it is not beyond the wit [of criminals] to break into houses. There is a danger that critical material might fall into the hands of bad guys.”

Mr Afzal, a former chief executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said investigators needed to work together. He added: “[New officers] don’t have the knowledge or capability, it takes years and years to build it up. They need to be in an office with more senior officers, they need to be mentored and guided and build strong relationships with colleagues.”