Victims and witnesses of Dacorum crimes urged to have their say over county's justice system - as national survey says 83% don't have confidence in the CPS

A survey has been launched to get an insight into people’s views of the justice system in Hertfordshire.

Those who have witnessed a crime or have been a victim of one in the past two years can report their experiences.

The Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board, which is chaired by Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd, wants to learn from the perspectives of individuals who have attended courts.

The board made up of the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service also want to understand how the Code of Practice for Victims of crime has been applied.

The survey has been launched in the hope of getting a more detailed picture.

This news comes as a national survey conducted by the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales in September found only 43 per cent of victims would report their crime again.

83 per cent of respondents also said they no longer had confidence in the effectiveness of the CPS to prosecute those accused of a crime.

Mr Lloyd explained that the pandemic caused huge delays and issues for victims.

He reiterated that it was his job is to bring multiple agencies together to give victims of crime a better service.

Mr Lloyd said: “Criminal Justice Boards were set up to improve the delivery of justice, secure better outcomes for victims and witnesses, and increase public confidence in the system.”

The Commissioner added: “By sharing your feedback, the Criminal Justice Board can get an accurate local picture of what the concerns are, then we can work to ensure future victims receive the support and justice outcomes they need.”

The online survey is open to anyone who has been a victim of a crime and/or reported a crime in the past two years, from the start of 2019 onwards.

The survey can also be filled out by parents or carers of children who have been a victim.

The survey will close on July 31 and can be found here.