Working with our Community

Increasing public confidence in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)

CPS Thames and Chiltern is committed to engaging with the increasingly diverse communities that we serve.  We want to provide a fair and equitable service for everyone, and to achieve this it is important that people understand how the criminal justice system works and how we come to our decisions.  All too often, members of the public do not know who we are or what we do. CPS Thames and Chiltern is committed to changing this and having a visible presence.

The success of the criminal justice system rests on the willingness of people to report crime, make statements and attend court.  The perception and experience that the public have of the CPS will influence the decision-making process.

Our aim is to inform, listen to, work with and be informed by those living and working across Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.  We regularly attend meetings and events across the region to talk about the work of the CPS and address any specific issues people may have.

We know that in order to make the right decisions on charging and prosecuting cases, we need to better-understand the needs and expectations of our local communities to ensure our decisions are informed. We have teams of both legal and administrative staff based at each office who are dedicated to engaging with local communities and improving our service. 

This work has included seeking feedback from a range of communities - including faith communities, victims of domestic violence, and the gay community on how we can improve our service, and encourage more victims and witnesses to support Court proceedings. We see this process of consulting with community groups as an essential way of building public confidence in the way that we deliver the criminal justice system.