Supporters of the initiative, which can see young people meet victims of their crime and make amends, argue it can drastically reduce re-offending rates through making offenders come to terms with the consequences of their actions.
But temporary chief constable of Merseyside Police, Bernard Lawson, said the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is divided on the principle.
Speaking at the annual Youth Justice Board (YJB) convention in Southport, Lawson, a member of Acpo's children and young people business area, said: "Acpo is divided with a third in favour, a third on the fence and a third against it."
"It comes down to the fact that individual chief constables decide what they will put into force."
Lawson noted that some chief constables are "great proponents" of restorative justice and have the ability to get an entire police force enthusiastic about its use, but others are not.
However, the existing system of recording results can impact on the willingness to use restorative justice since it does not count as a "detection".
"The issue is getting the message out to the wider public and police forces that restorative justice does produce results," he added.
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