ACPO comment on Policy Exchange report Proceed with Caution

ACPO lead on out of court disposals Chief Constable Alex Marshall said:

“This report is a helpful contribution to the debate on how the police service use out of court disposals. As highlighted in the report the use of such disposals has been declining since 2007.

“There are a range of out of court disposals available to police officers and their use does vary across England and Wales. This is partly explained by the different styles of policing adopted by individual chief officers, who must respond to the specific issues within their local communities.

“ACPO together with the Ministry of Justice and Home Office have been working on national guidance to advise officers on the best use of out of court disposals for consistency of application across England and Wales, thereby ensuring each case is dealt with according to its individual circumstances. Some forces, including Essex and Hampshire, are working closely with magistrates on methods of oversight. We expect this work will also involve Police and Crime Commissioners under the new policing landscape.”

A link to the report can be found here: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/publications/item/proceed-with-caution?category_id=24

For more information please contact:

ACPO Press Office
Association of Chief Police Officers
e: press.office@acpo.pnn.police.uk