Rationale:
In receiving information on Out of Court Resolutions (OoCR) and Outcome 16, the PCC was looking to:
- Seek assurance that the Force has measures in place to improve performance in respect of community resolution rates and unsupportive victim rates;
- Provide the public with greater assurance and confidence in the OoCR process and in decisions made by the Force; and
- Seek assurance that the Force is making the best use of OoCRs to support adults with health vulnerabilities.
Questions:
Performance
- What are the main barriers encountered by the Force in issuing OoCRs? What measures does the Force have in place to address these barriers and improve performance in respect of community resolution rates and unsupportive victim rates?
Use of OoCRs
- What progress has been made by the Force to adopt the two-tier out-of-court-resolution framework and how will compliance with community cautions and diversionary cautions be monitored?
- What are the main offence categories that OoCRs are used for?
- How does the Force maintain fairness, consistency and proportionality in terms of the OoCR decision-making of each individual officer?
Public Confidence and Victim Input
- To promote public confidence in the OoCR process, what action has been taken to implement the Community Remedy document?
- What action has the Force taken to ensure victims are at the heart of OoCR decision-making, are listened to and understood and are informed of action taken? How does the Force ensure there is always an auditable record of each victim’s wishes?
Offenders with health-related vulnerabilities
- Is there a Force-wide policy requiring a health vulnerability screening and assessment during the OoCR decision-making process?
- Through data collection and evaluation, is the Force able to evidence how OoCRs can help to address health vulnerabilities?
Further Information:
A summary of the evidence considered at this meeting can be accessed below:
Scrutiny Meeting Notes – 24 September 2025 (application, 155kB)