Offenders let off if they apologise

Amid concerns officers could be bogged down for months by court delays, figures show that police are letting off record numbers of offenders if they apologise. 

Nearly 140,000 people accused of offences including sex crimes, violence, theft, and possession of weapons, have avoided prosecution and have been issued with community resolutions that do not result in a criminal record, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data revealed.

In the year to June, prosecution fell by 14 per cent, but the number of resolutions handed to offenders rose by 8 per cent from 128,600 to 138,900. These account for nearly 10 per cent of all offences in the criminal justice system and represent a 36 per cent rise on 2018.

Offenders handed community resolutions agree to a face-to-face apology to those they have wronged and may be ordered to pay compensation or carry out a reparation. However, they avoid a criminal record as they are not taken to court, and do not receive a police caution.

Although designed for "minor" offences, a record 41,301 offences of violence against a person in the year to June resulted in police officers giving the offender a community resolution, up 12 per cent on the previous year's 36,366, the MoJ data shows.

The number of theft offences given community resolutions also rose from 12,434 to 14,868 - 20 per cent, while even more serious crimes showed a rise, such as sex crimes increased by 50 per cent from 431 to 644. Possession of weapons rose by 30 per cent from 1,501 to 1,985 and robbery by 52 per cent from 186 to 385.

"We're aware of huge backlogs that started during Covid and have only got worse with [the barristers'] industrial action and the shortage of court staff." A senior police officer said, stating that court delays were "certainly a part" of opting for community resolutions.

A senior legal source said. "Vital witnesses may drop out. There is also the worry about whether it adds to the cost when police are in short supply and may need to concentrate on more serious crimes. The other consideration is the huge waste of police time and money if they turn up at court and then the case is postponed."