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Police cautions 'are no deterrent'
WEARSIDERS caught carrying lethal weapons, dealing Class A drugs and sexually assaulting minors have been punished with a police caution.
Details obtained by the Echo reveal that between November 2007 and October 2009, Sunderland police handed out 8,454 cautions – the equivalent of more than 350 a month.
While the majority were for minor offences, cautions have been handed out for a string of more serious crimes.
These include:
Rape of a male child under 13 by a male.
Sexually assaulting a female under 13 and three other sexual offences involving minors.
Four cautions for possession of an indecent photo of a child under 16.
Five for having firearms and ammunition in a public place.
138 for weapon-related offences.
Four drug-dealing offences, including one for a Class A drug.
66 for possessing a controlled drug, including crack, heroin, LSD, crystal meth and ecstasy.
39 for racially-aggravated offences, including one for assault.
430 for causing actual bodily harm.
Police argue cautions are reserved for low-level crimes and "rarely" dished out for serious offences, and when they are, victims will be asked for their views.
But Adele Johnson, 29, has hit out at the number of cautions handed out.
The Pennywell mum-of-two has been tirelessly campaigning for stiffer sentences to be handed out to those caught carrying weapons after her fiance Kevin, 22, was stabbed to death outside their home in May 2007.
"When I hear things like this it makes me think what a waste of time our campaign is," she said.
"It's terrifying to walk down the streets and it's terrifying to let your baby go out and play because you don't know who's out there and what they've got in their pocket.
"It's not fair on the victims and it doesn't send out a firm message to people carrying knives. There's no deterrent."
Last year the Government recommended putting people caught carrying knives behind bars.
But the figures reveal 27 cautions were given for possession of a knife blade or sharp instrument, 94 for possession of an offensive weapon and three for possession of a rocket launcher or mortar.
A Victim Support spokeswoman said: "If victims feel their experience of crime is being dismissed by the very agencies that are meant to deal with, the situation that risks adding insult to injury."
Chief Superintendent Dave Wormald, Northumbria Police's criminal justice department, said: "All police forces operate under strict guidelines from the Home Office in relation to the use of cautions.
"Cautions are used for adult offenders predominantly in cases involving first time, low-level offending.
"Before any decision to issue a caution is made, the views of the victim will be considered, and a caution only issued if it is in the public interest to do so.
"Cautions are rarely issued for more serious offences.
"However, if it is appropriate for a caution to be considered for a serious offence, the decision to caution will only be reached after consultation with the victim, and a referral of the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for a decision."
From minor to serious offences
POLICE in Durham handed out cautions for the rape of an underage girl and a sexual assault on a young boy.
The county constabulary gave cautions to 851 offenders between April 2008 and March 2009.
Most were for minor offences. But a handful were given for more serious crimes.
These include:
One for rape of a female child under 16.
13 for sexual activity involving a child under 16.
One for sexual assault on a male child under 13.
Five for wounding or other acts endangering life.
A force spokeswoman said: "A caution is issued to an offender where sufficient evidence, based upon a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) test, is available to prosecute that person for an offence.
"Cautions may be issued for a variety of different offences, including sexual offences.
"It has been identified that on occasions the victims of such offences do not wish to attend court or provide evidence.
"In such instances it has to be determined whether it is appropriate to compel the victim to give evidence against their wishes, or close the investigation with no further action.
"Since 2003, when offenders are cautioned for sexual offences they are required to register on the Sex Offenders Register and provide notification details which may restrict travel."
Law Society claim 'not for serious offences'
THE Law Society called the use of cautions for serious offences "inappropriate."
Chief Executive Des Hudson, said: "While such disposals may have a role in dealing with very simple offences, such as in relation to traffic and parking, they are not appropriate for theft and disorder that could be of a more serious and violent type.
"There is also a place in the system for the use of simple police cautions and conditional cautions, but there is now considerable concern, highlighted by the DPP, that there may be many and growing examples of inappropriate use here too.
"We also need to consider the possibility that otherwise innocent people may be tempted to accept such disposals in order to avoid the stress of a full criminal trial."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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