Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities and a DVD which gave the Members an update on the introduction of a Neighbourhood Resolution Panel in the Grange ward of Halton.

The Board was advised Halton was one of the 15 English areas to pilot a Neighbourhood Resolution Panel, designed to resolve anti-social behaviour and low-level crime affecting local communities. (For example neighbour disputes, noise & nuisance parking).

The successful bid had been produced by the Community Safety Team and Halton Housing Trust and had been submitted at the end of October 2011. The pilot was located in the Grange Ward and would run until 2014 and would be evaluated by the Ministry of Justice.

It was reported that the panel would deliver agreed restorative justice outcomes and could include perpetrators agreeing to carry out tasks that made amends to the victim or wider community. They were designed to give victims and the community much more of a say in the punishments that were given out.

Panels would be made up of volunteers trained in restorative justice, who would facilitate meetings between victim and offenders. Five volunteer facilitators had already successfully completed the training.

The Board was further advised that some areas had already been using restorative justice, concentrating on youth offending. The Neighbourhood Resolution Panels would extend this approach, which could be applied to any low level crime and was open to adults and youths

The benefits of the Neighbourhood Resolution Panel were as follows:-

·       Divert offenders/perpetrators from the Criminal Justice System;

·       Speed (4-6 week turn around);

·       More victim involvement;

·       Improve perceptions of complaint handling;

·       Improve/decrease re-offending rates; and

·       Free up time for more pressing work for housing and police officers.

The reforms built on the lessons learned from the response to last summer’s disturbances and were intended to modernise criminal justice services, speed up court cases, improve transparency so that the public could understand how the system worked, and engage local communities in the judicial process.  In addition, it was also reported that the pilot was open to accept referrals from the partner agencies.

    The following comments arose from the discussion:-

·       The Board noted the positive impact the pilot had in the Grange Ward both on the victims and the perpetrators and that the scheme empowered the community to take ownership and reduce the fear of crime in their area;

·       Clarity was sought on how the volunteers were recruited and how their suitability for the role had been assessed?  In response, it was reported that Officers had undertaken a presentation in the community to raise awareness of the scheme and enable individuals to become involved in the process. Several individuals, who lived/worked in the community had been interviewed and had successfully completed the course; and

·       The Board welcomed the alternative approach being used to address low level crime and anti-social behaviour;

·       It was noted that Cheshire Police had been fully involved in the restorative justice process and being updated on the progress on a regular basis;

·       Clarity was sought on at what point restorative justice would be considered i.e. on a burglary charge would the intervention be before the individual was bailed to court.  In response, it was reported that the intervention could be at any stage, as it what was appropriate to the situation.  However, burglary was not part of the pilot and restorative justice did not replace punishable offences.  In addition, it was reported that Police Officers would record that restorative intervention had taken place.

RESOLVED: That

(1)            The report, DVD and comments raised be noted; and

(2)            Mr Andrew Bailey be thanked for his informative presentation.