Police decisions
Depending on the offences, and whether it has been admitted during the interview, the police can take any of the actions below:
- Take no further action.
- Arrange a community resolution. This is when you agree to make an apology and to stop getting into trouble. You may be asked to agree to take part in activities to support you, but you will not get a criminal record.
- Refer you to the Youth Justice Service (YJS) for an assessment, followed by a Youth Caution. You may be invited to take part in activities to support you. A Youth Caution is recorded and can be quoted if you get in trouble again.
- Refer you to the YJS for an assessment, followed by a Youth Conditional Caution. You will have to take part in activities to support you and keep you out of trouble. A Youth Conditional Caution is recorded, and if you don’t co-operate, you may be taken to court.
- Charge you with a criminal offence and send you to court.
If the offences are not admitted, the police can take no further action, or charge you with a criminal offence and send you to court.
If the police require further information or evidence, they can release you on bail. This means that you have to come back to the police station when they tell you to. They may also tell you to obey certain rules, which they call 'bail requirements'.
If you do not obey them, you are committing a further offence and can go straight to court.
The police won’t hold anyone for more than 24 hours without charging them. (Under very exceptional circumstances where the crime is so serious, police can apply for an extension to time).
If they decide to press charges, the police can release you with bail requirements to attend court. They will provide documents that state when and where the court hearing will be and what conditions must be obeyed before then. For example, you might have to report to a police station or live at a particular place.
If certain legal conditions are met, they can refuse bail and keep you in police custody until the court can see you. This may mean staying in the police station or being transferred to be looked after by the local children’s social services. This is usually only for a day or so as most courts operate six days per week.