POLICE CRITICISED OVER SERIOUS CRIMES NOT TAKEN TO COURT
Community resolutions were intended for ‘low -level’ offences
HAMPSHIRE police has come under fire for letting thousands of offenders escape prosecution for crimes as serious as robbery, drug trafficking and possession of offensive weapons.
Since 2014, the county’s police force has resolved almost 18,900 crimes with a community resolution, a method of dealing with crimes outside of the court, an investigation has found.
The study by the BBC showed Hampshire issued 52 community resolutions for sex offences between 2014 and 2018, 10 for robbery – a crime which can carry a life sentence – 996 for drug offences and 4,435 of the orders for violent crimes.
While figures obtained by The News for the past year revealed officers had issued a further four resolutions to deal with robberies between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019, while 48 were handed out to deal with drug traffickers and 75 for possession of a weapon.
Police say community resolutions were used sparingly to handle ‘low-level’ offending – with a high number involving first-time offenders or youngsters.
However, politicians and support groups are concerned by the figures and are now calling for change.
Dr Alison Elderfield, from the independent charity Hampshire Victim Support, agreed resolutions could be effective for low-level offences ‘as long as the views of the victims’ were ‘firmly taken into account’.
‘However, it is very concerning and completely inappropriate for community resolutions to be used in cases where a serious crime has been committed, such as a sexual offence,’ she said.
‘In these instances victims are potentially denied an opportunity to achieve justice.
‘The public could be put at risk if violent and sexual offenders are not receiving criminal records.’
Community resolutions are not convictions and do not appear on criminal records. Nor will they be disclosed in a standard DBS check.
Figures issued by the Home Office revealed that nationally, out of more than 15 million crime outcomes recorded between 2014/15 and 2017/18, some 449,000 were community resolutions, representing three per cent of all outcomes recorded during that period, with Hampshire’s standing at about two per cent.
Resolutions were issued for 29,000 drugs offences including 1,029 for drugs trafficking, while 68,131 were handed out for criminal damage and arson, with 109 for arson endangering life.
Some 4,963 were issued for possession of weapons – 99 were recorded for possession of firearms with intent, 1,927 for possession of an article with blade or point and 1,689 for possession of firearms.
Almost 156,000 of the orders were issued to deal with violent offences against the person, with 70,794 issued for assault with injury and 1,724 for cruelty to children, 81 for endangering life, 463 for assault with intent to cause
The public could be put at risk if violent and sexual offenders are not receiving criminal records. Dr Alison Elderfield
Here is a genuine quandary. Where exactly do you draw the line when it comes to crime sentencing? Of course all law-abiding citizens want see the strong arm of the law come to the fore when a criminal is caught but now Hampshire Police has come under fire for letting thousands of offenders escape prosecution for crimes as serious as robbery, drug trafficking and possession of offensive weapons.
This verdict in certain crimes is known as a ‘community resolution’ and a BBC investigation has shown that since 2014, the county’s police force has resolved almost 18,900 crimes with a community resolution including 52 community resolutions for sex offences between 2014 and 2018, 10 for robbery – a crime which can carry a life sentence – 996 for drug offences and 4,435 of the orders for violent crimes.
Police say these community resolutions were used sparingly to handle ‘low-level’ offending – with a high number involving first-time offenders or youngsters.
To be fair, we cannot simply sit back and condemn the police for using this type of punishment. Take a look back over the past couple of years and reflect on how much has been taken away from our seemingly ever-diminishing thin blue line in both cash and personnel and it’s little wonder that an ever growing caseload has to be sorted as quickly as possible.
However, these measures have now been condemned by many and Hampshire Victim Support says resolutions could be effective for low-level offences ‘as long as the views of the victims’ were ‘firmly taken into account’ but very concerning and completely inappropriate for community resolutions to be used in cases where a serious crime has been committed, such as a sexual offence. Wise words indeed and it’s to be hoped that the debate widens for every crime victim’s peace of mind.