THIS month I’d like to tell you more about Community Resolution, a new process that came into effect at the same time that changes were made to the way that the performance of the police is measured.

Traditionally there was a whole range of performance indicators to show how well individual forces were doing and this included detection rates.

For the last year or so, however, the police have been measured by a single indicator, that of confidence and satisfaction, and Community Resolution was introduced as part of this.

Community Resolution is a way of resolving a crime investigation without the need to arrest and prosecute. The decision to use this approach is made by the victim of the crime and it can only be used for lower level offences.

For example, if a neighbour’s child causes damage to your fence, rather than making an arrest, the issue could be resolved by the fence being repaired or replaced or an apology being offered. There would still be a crime report, the officer still has to gather available evidence and the matter should be resolved promptly with a reasonable sanction imposed. However, the crime will remain undetected, and would be recorded as resolved. The advantages of Community Resolution are clear – the offender receives an appropriate sanction, the damage is made good and a young person is not criminalised.

This last point is really important. Young people may not always see the long-term consequences of their actions. If they commit a crime and are dealt with by the police other than by Community Resolution, they may receive a reprimand, final warning or be charged to court.

Any reprimands, final warnings or convictions at court would have to be disclosed when applying for certain jobs, work placements, training or further education courses and this could be the difference between acceptance and rejection.

You can imagine how devastating this could be and the lasting impact it could have on a young person’s life.

Community Resolution can also be used when an adult has committed a crime.

Clearly it is not always the appropriate option and officers have received specialist training to help them decide when it can be used to best effect.

While it’s still a fairly new process, we are finding it is a valuable tool and the feedback from victims is so far very positive.

INSPECTOR PAUL CROWLEY KIDDERMINSTER POLICE