DORSET'S Police and Crime Commissioner has vowed to learn the lessons after concerns were raised about the use of Out of Court Disposals in the county.

An independent audit was carried out to look at the disposals, which include cautions, fixed penalty notices and community resolutions.

It came after concerns were raised to the Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill by three constituents over police use of Out of Court Disposals (OoCD).

Dorset Police identified a number of 'compliance issues' for OoCD and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said that steps needed to be taken to ensure the views of victims were always taken into account and the offender is made aware of the nature and implications of accepting the outcome.

Mr Underhill said: "I decided to test the system, and establish whether Dorset Police act ethically, transparently, and with due consideration for victims."

The review sampled 100 cases where OoCD were used and of the 20 penalty notices audited it found that in 17 cases the offender was suitable to receive such a disposal, however, out of the nine cases where there was a victim to consult, only two had their views considered.

In terms of community resolutions, 11 of 33 cases were sampled were found to have an ‘ineffective’ outcome while out of 40 cautions sampled, 14 were deemed to be inappropriate.

The report did praise the use of OoCD were youths were concerned, and published a number of good practice points as well as a raft of 12 recommendations for improvement.

Mr Underhill said: "I welcome the report findings.

"The good practice found should be celebrated, as should the learning points identified, which will help us deliver policing in Dorset in a more joined up and accountable way. I "I am of the view that some of these learning points could be useful on the national stage, and I have therefore sent this review to HMIC and the Home Secretary."

Jan Steadman, Dorset Police’s head of criminal justice, said: "We welcome the findings from this independent review and the recommendations made to further reassure the public as to how we consider and utilise an Out of Court Disposal (OoCD).

"It was pleasing to note that the reviewer also identified a number of good practices during the review process.

"Dorset Police’s Youth OoCD Team were recognised for their consistent good decision making with regard to the needs of victims and offenders.

"The decision making for an OoCD in complex, serious or unusual cases was also praised, along with the effectiveness and clarity of our caution form for offenders.

"Dorset Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner prioritises effective and ethical crime recording and disposal which was noted in the review.

"The recommendations of the report also include establishing enhanced mechanisms which ensure victims are consulted, informed and updated sufficiently; a review of training and development as well as improving processes for decision-making, scrutiny and governance.

"All of the report’s recommendations have been accepted by Dorset Police and an action plan with senior officer oversight has been put in place."