Community Resolution seeks to prevent re-offending by encouraging the offender to think about their behaviour so it is most appropriate for offenders who have little or no previous relevant offending history. A Community Resolution Notice can be issued to someone 10 years or over for a specified range of offences. The offences for which they can be used and the criteria for doing so has been agreed between PSNI and PPS. A joint quality assurance process is completed on a monthly basis by PSNI and PPS to ensure CRNs are issued within operational guidance.
Community Resolution provides a quicker, more victim tailored method of dealing with specific offences than a formal prosecution where a comparatively minor crime has been committed and an agreement (resolution) is reached regarding how the offender can make good the loss, damage or harm caused to the victim.
Community Resolution seeks to deliver the following objectives:
(a) To improve the involvement and quality of service provided to victims by taking account of their views where reasonable and proportionate in the resolution;
(b) To increase victim satisfaction in policing and criminal justice by providing a comparatively prompt and tailored resolution;
(c) To provide a proportionate justice disposal for suspect’s with little or no previous offending history, to reduce the impact on their lives compared to other non-court disposals and encourages them to change their behaviour and not re-offend, and;
(d) To provide officers with a proportionate disposal for offences that are comparatively less serious.