Assaulted Police Officer encourages others to benefit from Restorative Justice

RJ enables victims of crime to engage with the person who committed the crime. It puts them at the heart of the justice process and offers a chance to ask the offender any questions that they have and talk about the impact.

Police Officer Coleen Mellor was attacked by an intoxicated woman whilst responding to an emergency call last Christmas.

Following the assault, Coleen was contacted and asked if she would be interested in finding out more about the Restorative Justice (RJ) service.

RJ enables victims of crime to engage with the person who committed the crime. It puts them at the heart of the justice process and offers a chance to ask the offender any questions that they have and talk about the impact.

Coleen, said: “It was an easy process, it didn’t take up much of my time and we met at a neutral place that was convenient for me.

“I went into the process as me, just Coleen not PC Mellor. I went in my usual clothes and asked to be referred to as Coleen throughout. I think it’s important that people see you as more than just a uniform. At the end of the day, I have children at home that I want to go home to in one piece.

“I was able to explain to her my version of that night and then she was able to give me hers. We had a chat about the impact it had on her and how she was working on herself and had not touched drugs or alcohol since that night. She apologised to me, which was good to hear, but I could tell just by sitting in front of her and seeing her explain her actions that she was remorseful.

“For me I found it beneficial, hopefully it will stop this female from acting in a similar way in future and I would encourage other people who could use this process to go ahead and try it. The whole thing took just over an hour, and it was very cathartic.”

Restorative Justice is commissioned locally by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire and provided by Restorative Solutions.

Alison Lowe OBE, West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, who has also recorded a video raising awareness of the service, said:

“I want to thank Coleen for sharing her story with the aim of encouraging more people to benefit from what is a fantastic service.

“Both the Mayor and I are huge advocates of Restorative Justice. It can help victims to reduce feelings of anxiety, empowering them as part of their recovery, allowing two-way communication with the offender about taking responsibility for their actions.

“This approach has also been shown to reduce the chances of repeat offending.

“No offence type is excluded from the service and requests are treated with the upmost sensitivity.”

Chief Inspector Alan Travis, West Yorkshire Police lead on Restorative Justice, said: “Restorative justice is an effective process that can have benefits for victims of crime and offenders. It can also assist policing by reducing future demand and harm.

“West Yorkshire Police works closely with the Mayor and Restorative Solutions to ensure that victims of crime, including our officers and staff, are offered this service where it is appropriate.

“Coleen’s story clearly demonstrates how beneficial this process can be, and I would encourage others to consider using restorative justice if they feel that sharing their experiences would help them to recover from becoming a victim of crime.”

Kate Brooksbank, WY RJ Service Manager, said: “Both parties chose this approach to better understand what had happened, and we were pleased to be able to support them both to get an outcome they were both happy with.”

For more information on restorative justice in West Yorkshire, visit https://www.rjwestyorkshire.org.uk, call 0800 783 1550 or email rjwestyorkshire@restorativesolutions.org.uk.