How can the police resolve more crimes effectively, without resorting to the courts? This report summarises findings from interviews with nine police forces from the top of our crime resolution tracker, which ranks police forces by the proportion of out of court resolutions and outcome 22s they use versus charge. 

Streamlining the out of court process, centralising administration and creative communication strategies increased out of court resolution use and quality. Supportive police leadership was also crucial for setting a culture around out of court resolutions that trickled down to officer decision-making. 

However, even leading forces had room for improvement. Scrutiny of out of court resolutions tended to focus on compliance with local and national guidance, overlooking other measures of success. Forces did not always consider a person’s vulnerability when making a decision on how to resolve their case, missing opportunities to divert vulnerable people. 

Our report includes recommendations for how out of court resolution leads, senior officers and the government can help police to effectively resolve more crime without going to court.