34
Chapter X - Working Group on Youth
INTRODUCTION
10.1
The Fight Crime Committee set up the Working Group on Youth (WGY) in August 1984 to study ways of improving existing arrangements for dealing with young offenders up to the age of 24 and young persons in need of care and protection. Since the last report the WGY has met three times and made
recommendations to the Fight Crime Committee on a range of issues.
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS
The police superintendent's discretion scheme
10.2
Where a first offender below the age of 16 confesses to having committed certain minor offences, the offender may be cautioned and discharged under the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme by a Police Superintendent, under authority delegated by the Attorney General. Cases involving young
offenders who are 16 years of age are referred to the Attorney General for consideration.
10.3
The WGY has considered this scheme in detail and in particular has addressed the following issues :
10.4
(a) whether the age limit up to which a
Police Superintendent may exercise his discretion should be raised;
(b)
(c)
whether it is possible to retain records of those who have been
cautioned for a longer period in order to provide a better data base for assessing the effectiveness of the scheme;
whether there should be new guidelines for Police Superintendents in the administration of the scheme.
Views of members regarding the raising of the age limit for application of the scheme were divided. The WGY decided, after giving due consideration to all the views expressed, not to recommend a change in the age limit for the time being.
10.5
On the keeping of records the WGY felt it was highly desirable that records of cautions administered should be kept for a minimum of three years for research purposes. However the WGY recognised that there were several potential difficulties with this proposal namely: