The county's chief police constable says the force is 'committed' to fighting crime following national statements about a reduction of arrests due to prison overcrowding.

Following reporting today (May 22) around police forces’ nationally potentially reducing the amount of arrests they make, Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the force remains 'committed to communities' by 'fighting crime and serving victims'.

“We are aware of the pressures being faced across the wider criminal justice system, and we are working to support them as much as we possibly can," he said.

Oxford Mail: Jason Hogg.

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“Our priority remains to protect our communities and I would like to reassure people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire that we will continue to be proactive in arresting those who are suspected of committing crimes.

“In the last financial year we made almost over 30,000 arrests, an increase of over seven per cent more than the previous year, resulting in more charges for crimes such as rape offences (increasing by 17.4 per cent) and drug trafficking (25 per cent increase).

“We continue to work hard and with our partners to bring more offenders to justice."