Child arrest figures fall to new low
Neil Puffett
Sunday, August 6, 2017
The number of arrests of children in England and Wales have fallen to a new low - with a drop of 13.9 per cent in the space of a year.
Figures obtained by The Howard League for Penal Reform show that police made 87,525 arrests of children aged 17 and under in 2016, down 13.9 per cent on the 2015 figure of 101,678.
The latest figure represents a drop of 64 per cent from the level in 2010, when 245,763 arrests were recorded.
The statistics collected show that every police force in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2016 than in 2010. All but four forces brought down their number of arrests by more than half.
There were 703 arrests of primary-age children (10- and 11-year-olds) in 2016, a reduction of 18 per cent from the previous year.
The statistics have been published in a Howard League briefing, Child Arrests in England and Wales 2016, which links the reduction in the number of children entering the system with lower levels of child custody. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of children in custody in England and Wales fell by 58 per cent.
The statistics show that arrests of girls are falling at a faster rate than arrests of boys. Police recorded a 69 per cent drop in girls' arrests between 2010 and 2016, and the number of girls in penal custody fell by 78 per cent during the same period.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "For the sixth year running, we have seen a significant reduction in child arrests across the country.
"This is a tremendous achievement, and we will continue to support police forces to develop their good practice and reduce the number to an absolute minimum.
"Police should be applauded for their positive approach, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part in a transformation that will make our communities safer.
"By working together, we are ensuring that tens of thousands of children will have a brighter future and not be dragged into a downward spiral of crime and custody."
The briefing states that the positive trend across police forces has been led at a national level, most notably by the National Police Chiefs' Council, which has prioritised improvements in the policing of children.
It said a good example has been set by the chief constable of Durham Police, who has met each of his officers individually to impress upon them a problem-solving approach rather than a reliance on arrests.
Meanwhile, Surrey Police has given training to all custody and frontline staff, focusing on the need to reduce the number of children arrested. The force also ran an internal communications campaign to encourage people to see the "child first and the offence second".
And Thames Valley Police, like a number of other forces, now has a system in place so that an inspector reviews every child arrest.