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Thursday, November 20, 2008, 16:15
It is called 'restorative justice' and the constabulary has been piloting it since the beginning of the month.
It is hoped that confronting an offender with his or her victim will show them the harm that they have done and the trouble they have caused.
Inspector Caroline Coad, the officer in charge at Helston, said a recent incident in Porthleven might lead to the first use of the scheme in this area.
A young person, thought to be of school age, had thrown a brick at a bedroom window while a woman was standing looking out.
The woman's husband said there had been no provocation.
"The lad came up and threw the brick, with his two hands behind his head."
Fortunately, he added, the window did not break.
He added: "I would be quite willing to meet him."
Insp Coad said this was the sort of low level crime for which the perpetrator would normally receive a warning.
"It (restorative justice) would be the sort of thing for a person who has never really been in trouble before," she suggested.
Examples of restorative justice have already been publicised. In Torbay recently, nightclubbers were made to clear up mess they had left behind.
And Insp Coad said her officers were considering using it following vandalism at public toilets in Mawnan Smith.
"It is a good thing," she said, adding that it was dependent on victims consenting to meet offenders.
"Hopefully it will make offenders realise what they have done is wrong and to put it right. We think this is the better way forward."
At Thursday's Porthleven Town Council meeting, where local neighbourhood beat manager Ann Butcher raised the possibility of using restorative justice in the brick throwing incident, councillor Andy Wallis told colleagues that the police had responded very quickly.
And in his report, Sgt Mark Pascoe, of Helston police, added: "There have been a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour. We have identified a number of the individuals responsible. Full use is being made of the anti-social behaviour process, including enlisting the assistance of social landlords."
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