Community resolutions used in 10,000 serious violence cases

Critics blame police cuts for sharp rise in number of people dodging court for violent crimes

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POLICE resolved more than 10,000 cases of serious violent crime last year using 'community resolutions', an informal system that requires perpetrators to apologise or compensate their victims rather than face a criminal charge.

Community resolutions are only supposed to be used in relation to "low-level" crime, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said. The system – also known as restorative justice – usually requires an offender to apologise, pay compensation or repair any damage caused. Unlike a prosecution or a caution, this does not result in a criminal record.

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