Why Are Thousands of Police Cases Collapsing? A Deep Dive into the UK's Evidence Management Crisis

A recent BBC investigation has highlighted a critical failure point in the UK’s criminal justice system, revealing that over 30,000 prosecutions in England and Wales collapsed between 2018 and 2022 due to lost, missing, or otherwise unavailable evidence. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a deeper, systemic issue with significant consequences for the delivery of justice and the maintenance of public trust. 

The findings point to profound operational challenges that go far beyond simple administrative errors. For police leaders and senior detectives, understanding the factors driving this trend is crucial for identifying systemic weaknesses and reinforcing investigative integrity. This analysis delves into the core issues, from the legacy of decentralised evidence management to the unprecedented pressures of the digital age. 

The Sheer Scale of the Problem 

The headline figures from the investigation are stark. The collapse of over 30,000 cases in four years points to a persistent and widespread challenge. These are not minor infractions; the data includes some of the most serious offences, with 42 homicide cases and 364 sexual offence cases discontinued because crucial evidence was compromised. 

The issue varies significantly across the country, with some forces facing greater challenges than others. The Metropolitan Police, for instance, saw one in every 20 prosecutions discontinued due to evidence issues—a rate significantly higher than the national average of one in 50. This disparity highlights that while the problem is systemic, local resources, infrastructure, and demand play a critical role. 

These numbers represent more than just data points; they represent delayed justice and human trauma. As one survey by the University of Leicester found, nearly three-quarters of barristers had encountered cases where evidence was lost, destroyed, or contaminated, demonstrating how deeply this issue permeates the justice system. 

A System Under Strain: Unpacking the Root Causes 

To understand why this is happening, we must look beyond individual errors and examine the immense pressures on the entire evidence management ecosystem. Several converging factors have created a perfect storm, stretching police resources and capabilities to their limit. 

The Legacy of Decentralisation 

Many experts trace the origins of the current crisis back to the 2012 closure of the national Forensic Science Service. This decision decentralised evidence storage and management, shifting the responsibility onto individual police forces. As Professor Carole McCartney of the University of Leicester notes, this left a fragmented landscape where forces, often with insufficient resources and infrastructure, were left to manage an increasingly complex and high-stakes task. What was once a national standard became a postcode lottery of capability. 

The Digital Deluge 

The single greatest operational challenge in modern investigations is the exponential growth of digital evidence. The volume of data from body-worn video, CCTV, smartphones, and computers has created a tsunami of information that forces are struggling to manage. 

A 2022 report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) presciently warned that police forces were failing to meet the demands of the digital age. This is not just a storage issue; it is a challenge of capture, analysis, and timely retrieval. When a single investigation can generate terabytes of data, the risk of a critical piece of footage being lost, overlooked, or becoming inaccessible increases dramatically. 

Resource and Infrastructure Gaps 

The strain of managing this evidence is compounded by years of budget constraints and ageing infrastructure. The widely publicised 2023 Casey Review, which exposed the Metropolitan Police’s use of "over-stuffed, broken freezers" to store forensic samples from rape cases, is a visceral example of this reality. When basic storage facilities are not fit for purpose, the integrity of the most sensitive evidence is immediately at risk. This lack of investment creates a vicious cycle where forces are constantly reacting to failures rather than proactively building resilient systems. 

More Than Just "Lost" Evidence: A Question of Definition? 

While the narrative of "lost evidence" is powerful, some police forces argue it doesn't capture the full picture. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data is categorised under a code (E72) that refers to evidence being "missing or unavailable." 

Forces like Northamptonshire Police have pointed out that this category is broader than just police error. It can also include instances where a key witness decides not to attend court or a crucial expert medical report is not available in time. From this perspective, the issue is one of wider "evidential difficulties" in which the police are just one component. While this context is important for a nuanced understanding, it does not diminish the core finding that the systems for gathering, storing, and presenting reliable evidence are frequently failing. 

The Ripple Effect: Wider Implications for UK Policing 

The consequences of these evidence management failures ripple across the entire justice system and impact public confidence. The implications are far-reaching and touch every aspect of policing. 

• Erosion of Public Trust: For victims of crime, the collapse of a case due to a procedural failure can feel like a profound betrayal. It undermines their faith in the police's ability to deliver justice and can deter future reporting. 
• Injustice for the Accused: The right to a fair trial is a cornerstone of UK law. When evidence that could potentially prove someone's innocence is lost or destroyed, that right is fundamentally compromised, creating the risk of miscarriages of justice. 
• Operational Drag and Inefficiency: Poor evidence management is a significant drain on police resources. It creates investigative backlogs, leads to wasted court time, and forces officers to spend valuable hours searching for misplaced items rather than focusing on proactive policing. 
• Pressure for Reform: The scale of the problem has not gone unnoticed. In response, the Law Commission has proposed significant reforms, including the potential re-establishment of a national forensic archive to centralise long-term storage and even the criminalisation of mishandling evidence. This indicates a growing appetite for a systemic, national solution. 

Conclusion 

The revelation that thousands of police cases are collapsing is not an indictment of individual officers but a clear signal of a system straining under the weight of historical decisions, chronic under-investment, and the unprecedented demands of the digital age. Effective and reliable evidence management is not a back-office administrative task; it is the bedrock of legitimate law enforcement and the functioning of the criminal justice system. 

Addressing this crisis requires a concerted, strategic effort to modernise infrastructure, standardise processes, and provide forces with the resources they need to meet the challenges of 21st-century policing. Without it, the integrity of investigations will remain compromised, and the promise of justice will, for many, go unfulfilled. 

To explore more insights on our 'Investigations & Case Management' topic, read our other blogs here: https://hub.peelsolutions.co.uk/blog/tag/investigations-case-management 

Sources: 

• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3e5289d3njo 
• https://www.mortons-solicitors.co.uk/report-thousands-of-uk-cases-collapse-due-to-lost-or-mishandled-police-evidence/ 
• https://onthewight.com/hampshire-and-isle-of-wight-police-ranks-second-worst-nationally-for-missing-evidence-in-sexual-offence-cases/ 
• https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/northamptonshire-police-dispute-findings-of-bbc-investigation-into-cases-collapsing-due-to-lost-evidence-5164202 
• https://www.nnjournal.co.uk/p/investigation-finds-thousands-of