Caseload Blues: Retaining Police Officers in the Face of Increasing Pressures

By: By Andy Bartlett

For: Police Magazine, June 2024

Few public service roles face greater pressure than UK police officers. Rising crime, tighter budgets, and an already mounting complexity, force officers to do more with less, spurring burnout, dissatisfaction, and growing attrition. Unless policing rethinks demand management and resource allocation, operational performance and officer wellbeing will further deteriorate.

Crime Is Rising, and So Is the Pressure

Recent Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) figures are alarming. In the year to December 2024, overall crime rose 14% to 9.6 million incidents: fraud up 33% (4.1 million), theft 13%, and violence with injury 49% in just twelve months. Crime remains below its 2017 peak, yet the renewed surge is unmistakable and deeply disruptive for officers already carrying impossible caseloads.

Many frontline officers regularly work beyond contracted hours. Response and investigation teams, often juggling 25-plus live cases.  Even when individual files are simple, the relentless volume creates a daily backlog that delays timely resolution and robs officers of the chance to perform well or recover from policing’s heavy emotional toll.

A Profession at Breaking Point

The impact is stark. In 2023–24, more than 14,500 officers were signed off for mental-health related issues including stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD a record high. For many, workloads are unsustainable. Officers feel undervalued, trapped in bureaucracy, and unsupported by a system often indifferent to their wellbeing.

This strain is clear in retention data. Police forces are seeing a dramatic rise in resignations, particularly among younger officers who question long term policing careers. The result is a vicious cycle: as experienced officers leave, remaining staff face greater pressure, fuelling further attrition.

Victims Are Being Let Down Too

This isn’t a workforce issue it’s a public confidence issue. The criminal justice system continues to rely on court-based outcomes, even for lower-harm, high-frequency offences where victims seek resolution rather than prosecution. Victim satisfaction is declining. Officers report that cases end with “No Further Action,” not because harm wasn’t caused, but because the burden of evidential thresholds and public interest tests make prosecution impractical. In one county force, analysis of investigations showed that 83% of cases involving a named suspect scored 3 or below on the Adult Gravity Matrix mostly low-level offenders, yet the investigative response remained a formal one. These cases clog the system, frustrate victims, and waste officer time. A more victim-focused, outcome-driven approach is long overdue.

Smarter Justice: The Case for Out of Court Resolutions

The revised two-tier Out of Court Resolution (OoCR) framework and updated Codes of Practice offer a significant opportunity. Used well, OoCRs let officers and victims agree proportionate, meaningful outcomes without the time-consuming delays of the traditional court process.

This approach suits low-gravity offences where victims want genuine acknowledgment, apology, and resolution not lengthy proceedings that rarely bring closure. It gives suspects, especially first-time entrants, a chance to engage in accessible rehabilitative interventions addressing root causes of offending. But rapid scaling of OoCRs demands comprehensive infrastructure, automation, and organizational cultural change innovative tools can deliver this.

The Role of Diversion Manager

Diversion Manager is a digital platform designed to streamline the entire OoCR process, handling everything from referral to outcome tracking. It enables officers to rapidly refer suitable individuals to evidence-based interventions and manage compliance and victim updates through one integrated system.

The benefits are twofold: reduced administrative burden and transparent, consistent, victim-centred disposals. Police forces using Diversion Manager report significantly quicker case processing, lower backlogs, and stronger officer engagement with non-court resolutions. Crucially, it provides a supportive tool, freeing officers to concentrate on prevention, problem-solving, and valuable community engagement that strengthens public trust overall.

A Systemic Shift, Not a Soft Option

Some critics equate diversion with leniency. In reality, well managed OoCRs hold individuals accountable more immediately, more visibly to victims, and are likelier to prevent reoffending. They also ease pressure on overstretched officers and courts, making the system more responsive and humane. If we are serious about retaining officers, improving victim satisfaction, and delivering justice, we must expand alternatives that reflect frontline realities. Diversion Manager isn’t a silver bullet, but it is a powerful part of a smarter, sustainable solution.

Contact Diversion Manager

Diversion Manager supports your force with our fully functional platform configurable to accommodate Out of Court Resolution programmes with advanced workflow, communication, reporting, and integration with your case management system. Contact us today if you’d like to set a meeting to learn more about Diversion Manager or to schedule a demo.