CYP Now - Opinion: Vox pop - Are police picking on young people to meet targets?

A report by crime-reduction charity Nacro has argued that more young people are being drawn into the criminal justice system as police come under pressure to meet government-set targets - a claim the government has denied.

YES - Tim Bateman, senior policy development officer, Nacro

The criminalisation of more young people is an unavoidable, although unintended, consequence of the target to increase the number of offences brought to justice. Although the target applies across the board, it will not change practice in cases that would result in prosecution anyway - it is only where police might have opted for an informal response that there is scope to improve performance outcomes. Inevitably, such cases will involve minor offences or perpetrators who might hitherto have benefited from police discretion - predominantly those with no previous offending, such as children, and girls in particular.

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