Lack of witnesses hampers police, DPP members told

At the latest meeting of the District Policing Partnership, area commander Ryan Henderson told members that many people in the Larne area were hesitant to put themselves forward as witnesses to crimes, particularly violent crimes.

He added: “People may ring up to report a crime, but when they sober up they often realise that they do not wish to go through the court process.

“Police officers on the ground are reliant on the Public Prosecution Service to decide if charging someone with a crime is the way forward. However, there are ways to deal with crimes without having to put someone through the courts, such as issuing a caution or a fixed penalty fine for certain offences. It is important that all crimes are recorded, even if the offender does not go through the criminal justice system.”