A group of youngsters in Kent had been amusing themselves by persistently launching a volley of stones over fences into the back gardens of people with greenhouses.
Police knew that at least five offences had been committed and suspected it was the same group of nine and 10-year-olds who had been causing the damage.
The youngsters, their parents and four of the victims who were willing sat down together and discussed the effects of the anti-social behaviour eventually agreeing that as recompense each young perpetrator would donate £10 to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Restorative justice practices, like the one above, are currently being trialled in Maidstone and Shepway as a way for police to deal with anti-social behaviour and low-level crime.
Sgt Jim Watson, Kent’s Police’s restorative lead, said: “One of the targets of the authorities is reduce the number of first time entrants into the criminal justice system.
“We recognise that quite a large element make mistakes growing up or beyond that and they should have a chance to lean from that process rather than be unnecessarily criminalised.”
In the example above the victims, who were all elderly, did not want the children to pay for the damage they just wanted them to stay out of trouble, he said.
“What happened was quite heart warming,” he said. “The victims felt they had their chance to be heard and the youngsters to understand how it had made them feel.”
The force, working with Kent County Council, local authorities and mediation services, is now rolling out restorative justice and the next area to benefit will be Tunbridge Wells.
In an interview with KOS Media about how the force is tackling anti-social behaviour through dedicated neighbourhood task teams, Chief Constable Michael Fuller said: “It [restorative justice] is being used by the PCSOs and police officers in neighbourhood but it is not recognised officially by the Home Office as a way of dealing with it.
“It is more victim-focused and sometimes they [victims of antisocial behaviour] are just looking to be compensated and not have to go to court and give evidence.”
Sgt Watson gave examples where problems involving only a few drivers who would park outside a school endangering the children to more than 40 community members who met to discuss the problem of young people playing rowdy football matches in a small close.
“While we have enforcement laws they are not always the best way to solve the problem,” he said.
“It works more efficiently for individuals who have problems to go through the process about how it affects people and what it is these people want to make it better.”
He said restorative justice was also used alongside the criminal justice system. When it was used in Kent to deal with retail offences such as shoplifting, handling stolen goods and theft by employees, re-offending was reduced by around 18 per cent.
In these incidences, offenders were given a caution or reprimand as well as taken to meet the shop owner or manager.
Supt Jon Sutton, head of the force’s neighbourhood policing teams, added:
“Restorative justice is proven to reduce re-offending and is a method of dealing with antisocial behaviour and low-level crime to the victims’ wishes as much as anything else.
“Sometimes people do not want them to be arrested or it is not appropriate to arrest them more appropriate to work together to address the problems.
“Often it is a communication issue that can be resolved… it can be a more appropriate and proportionate way of dealing with low level crime and antisocial behaviour that has a disproportionate impact on the victim.
“It is about coming together to find a solution jointly.”
POSTED: 31/10/2009 14:00:00
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