By Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns, Howard League for Penal Reform
The Howard League has been campaigning on the issue of child arrests for many years. In the latest figures, we hailed a 68 per cent reduction in child arrests since 2010 (see graphic). That is a massive achievement.
We do however think there is room for even further improvement. One of these areas is in the policing of children in residential care. As we have met with forces across the country, time and again officers raised concerns about unnecessary police contact with children's homes.
In 2016, we launched a specific programme of work to end the criminalisation of children in residential care. We have found widespread concern in police forces about the demand placed on them by some children's homes. Police officers have told us they can feel like a "respite" service for staff struggling to cope with vulnerable young people and we have been presented with a catalogue of cases where the police have been called to deal with behaviour that would never see a parent pick up the phone to dial 101 - let alone 999.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
