Community panel will fight for better justice in Pendle (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Community panel will fight for better justice in Pendle

5:00pm Wednesday 4th July 2012 in Pendle By Kate Jackson, Reporter

A GROUNDBREAKING project to help residents resolve community issues is under way in Pendle.

The first meeting of a community advisory panel which will see police and residents working together using restorative justice took place last week.

The panel is being chaired by Pendle Councillor Margaret Foxley who in 2008 had a laptop stolen containing precious photographs of her daughter Jessica, who six months later died in a car crash with two friends in Colne.

She subsequently took part in a Restorative Justice conference and met the offender face to face.

She has since been working with police to create the panel which is trialling in Colne and if successful it will be rolled out across the rest of the county.

The meeting saw volunteers from the Colne area meet with representatives from Lancashire police including Head of Criminal Justice Tim Ewen and Pennine Division’s Chief Inspector Jon Bullas.

The panel discussed concerns they had with their local area and gave feedback in relation to their contact with the police.

They are now hoping to set up drop in surgeries for residents concerned about crime and will consider how restorative approaches can be used to resolve community problems.

Margaret said: “The panel met with members of the police last week and talked about how restorative justice can work in the community.

“The members of the panel had the chance to say what their experience of crime is and talk about what more police can do to help victims.

“The idea is that people in the community can eventually help to solve local issues with the help of police.

“The project is still in the early stages, as the meetings progress we are hoping to have a better idea of how we can make the most of the panel.”