The Standard Operating Procedures for Hate Crime are published by the Metropolitan Police (MET) in its 4th version provide guidance on how the police should respond and outlines investigating standards.
Information is now recorded on Crime Recording Information System (CRIS) and Crime Intelligence (CrimInt) systems. This report states how data standards are under constant review. The Violence Crime Directorate Community Safety Unit (CSU) Service Delivery Team work on quality assuring Hate Crime investigations and provide feedback from these investigations to the CSU managers. The MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) Crime Recording Oversight Group makes sure that the Operational Command Units (OCUs) are in line with the National Crime Reporting Standard (NCRS) and recording standards.
The MET also provides guidance on how to record hate crime incidents.
The Holmes IT system records enquiry information and offers guidance and information on how to handle and how to dispose of ‘working notes’ made by officers and staff during the investigation. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) provides an introduction into its use on its website.
The Criminal Proceedings Investigations Act 1996 governs the retention of prosecution case papers. The MPS’s own policy states that in normal circumstances papers should be retained for six years. In more serious crimes such as outstanding murder, sexual offences etc papers are retained for a longer period.