Crimes against older people inspection
Criminal justice joint inspections
Youth Offending Teams – joint inspections
Police custody facilities – joint inspections
The population of England and Wales is ageing. While research shows that those in this age group are less at risk of crime overall than other groups, some crime types – such as those linked to physical, mental, or financial abuse – disproportionately affect older people.
Some older people are especially at risk, either because perpetrators target them or because their circumstances make them vulnerable. For example, if they are bereaved, lonely or living with dementia.
The financial and health impacts of these crimes can be devastating. In addition, some older people are socially isolated and don’t have established support mechanisms to help them recover if they become victims.
This inspection looks at how effective police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are at investigating and prosecuting crimes committed against older people. The inspection also focuses on how well police forces and the CPS ensure that older people who are victims of crime are safeguarded. For the purposes of this inspection, ‘older people’ are aged 60 and over.
The inspection is led by HMICFRS and supported by HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI). It will assess for the first time, the police and CPS responses to crimes affecting older people.
Get the report
The poor relation: The police and Crown Prosecution Service’s response to crimes against older people – July 2019
Research project
HMICFRS has also commissioned a research project to explore the experiences of older victims of crime. The project interviewed around 30 older people who have been victims of crime. The report of findings from these interviews is published alongside the inspection report.