{"id":2641,"date":"2020-05-06T10:14:26","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T10:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policecommissioner.net\/covid19-government-backs-pccs-call-for-tougher-sentences-for-covid-criminals\/"},"modified":"2020-05-06T10:14:26","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T10:14:26","slug":"covid19-government-backs-pccs-call-for-tougher-sentences-for-covid-criminals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/policecommissioner.net\/covid19-government-backs-pccs-call-for-tougher-sentences-for-covid-criminals\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID19: Government backs PCC\u2018s call for tougher sentences for Covid criminals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month I wrote<\/a> to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland calling for the government to make sure that anyone caught\u00a0<\/span>exploiting people during the coronavirus crisis should and will expect the full force of the law and that means they should expect an appropriate punishment.<\/span><\/p>\n

The letter<\/a> set out my views on how we must safeguard the elderly and most vulnerable and it called for sentencing guidelines to reflect the current climate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Government response<\/h3>\n

In reply<\/a>, the minister responsible for sentencing policy, Chris Philip MP, said the Government took the issue very seriously and that courts had the flexibility to make sentencing fit the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI welcome your contribution to this issue and have carefully considered the points you raise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen deciding what sentences to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they cause or intended to cause and any aggravating or mitigating factors\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Decent response<\/h3>\n

I welcome the government\u2019s response (I think it could have been stronger)\u00a0 overall I am pleased to hear that the Government is taking the issue of coronavirus-related fraud seriously. <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\\\"\\\"<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here in Gloucestershire, I have asked the Chief Constable to prioritise any reports of such crimes; expedite relevant investigations and take all steps possible to prevent further offences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst I have every confidence in the independence of the judiciary, I also believe that the public would fully support and expect a severe sentence, likely to include a substantial period of custody, for anyone who commits fraud or deception that in any way takes advantage of the current pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last month I wrote to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland calling for the government to make sure that anyone caught\u00a0exploiting people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[100,95,88,31,12,83,99,25],"yoast_head":"\nCOVID19: Government backs PCC\u2018s call for tougher sentences for Covid criminals - policecommissioner.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Last month Gloucestershire's PCC Martin Surl wrote to the Government to call for tough action on criminals who exploit people during COVID19. 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