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Introduction TheHowardLeaguehasworkedcloselywithpoliceforcesaroundthecountrytostemtheflowofchildrenenteringthecriminaljusticesystemandthecharitypublishesannualdataonthenumberofchildarrests.Onceagain,thisbriefingpapershowsagoodnewsstory.In2015therewere102,666childarrestsinEnglandandWales.Thenumberofchildrenarrestedhasreducedby58percentbetween2010and2015.
Asgatekeeperstothesystem,everypoliceforceacrossthecountryhasreducedthenumberofchildrenarrested,whichhasledtohugereductionsinthenumberoffirsttimeentrantstotheyouthjusticesystemandthenumberofchildreninprison.Between2010and2015thenumberofchildreninprisoninEnglandandWalescorrespondinglyfellby58percent(YJB,2016).Therateofreductioninarrestsandcustodyshowsaclearrelationship–ifwereduceentrantstothesystemwestemtheflowintocustody.
Improvementsinpolicingpracticemeansthatthousandsofchildrenhavenothadtheirlifechancesblighted.Themajorityofchildishmisbehaviourisbestdealtwithbyparents,carersandschools.Anarresthasthepotentialtoaffectachild’slifeadverselyinmanyways,fromtheimmediatetraumaticexperienceofbeingdetainedovernightinthepolicestation,totheuncertaintyofacriminaltrialandeventhepotentialtobeimprisonedfarawayfromtheirfamiliesandcommunities.Itcanalsoblighttheirfutures,forexamplethroughDisclosureandBarringChecksthatcanresultinajobofferoruniversityplacebeingwithdrawn.Theevidenceshowsthatthemorecontactachildhaswiththeformalcriminaljusticesystem,themoreentrenchedtheyarelikelytobecome,whichincreasesreoffendingrates,crimeandvictimisation(McAraandMcVie,2007).Forthemajorityofchildrentheyouthjusticesystemisunnecessary,harmfulandawastefuluseoftaxpayers’money.Adiscretionaryapproachalsoreleasesthepolicetorespondtoseriouscrimesthatareofpublicconcern.
Thispositivetrendacrosspoliceforcescanbeattributedtobetteruseofresourcestosolveproblems,removalofnationaltargets,improvedstafftrainingandsupportfromcommunities.
PolicearereviewingarrestproceduresandevidencegatheredbytheHowardLeaguefromcorrespondence,meetingswiththepoliceandvisitstopolicestationsindicatesanincreaseintheuseofrestorativeapproachesandconflictresolutionprinciplesandpractice.
Aswellasimprovementsatalocallevel,forwhichforcesaretobecommended,theNationalPolice
Chief’sCouncil(NPCC)hasprovidedimpressiveleadershipinsettingthetoneandprioritiesaroundthepolicingofchildren.In2015,theNPCCpublishedthe‘NationalStrategyforthePolicingofChildrenandYoungPeople’,whichemphasisestheimportanceofaproportionateandconsistentresponseandavoidingunnecessarycriminalisation–especiallywherethebehaviourcanbedealtwithmoreappropriatelythroughothermeans.
Thereismuchtocelebrate.Thereisstillmuchfurthertogo,however,toreducethenumberofchildrenunnecessarilycomingintocontactwiththepoliceandtheyouthjusticesystem.TheHowardLeaguewillcontinuetoworkwithpoliceforcesacrossthecountrytodeveloptheirgoodworkandreducethenumberofchildarreststoanirreducibleminimum.
Child arrestsThedataobtainedbytheHowardLeagueshowsthatin2015therewere102,666childarrestsinEnglandandWales.Thisconstitutesareductionof58percentsince2010andaneightpercentreductioncomparedto2014.
EverypoliceforceinEnglandandWaleshasreducedthenumberofchildarrestsbetween2010and2015,withoneforceachievinga77percentreduction.
Whilst,astobeexpected,theyearonyearnationalreductionratehasslowedinaccordancewiththereductionofnumbers,itisofconcernthatthirteenforcesreportedanincreaseinchildarrestscomparedto2014.
Gender Therewere17,015arrestsofgirlsin2015.Arrestsofgirlshavefallenatafasterratethanthatofboys.Thenumberhasfallenby12percentsince2014andby63percentsince2010.Between2010and2015thenumberofgirlsinprisoninEnglandandWalescorrespondinglyreducedby63percent(YJB,2016).
Primary age childrenTherewere874arrestsofprimaryagechildrenin2015.Arrestsof10and11-yearoldshavefallenby18.5percentsince2014,morethandoublethereductionrateofallchildarrestsinthesameperiod.
RegionsTherateofreductioninchildarrestsvariesacrossthecountry.TheNorthEast,EastMidlandsandSouthEasthaveallachievedreductionsinthenumberofchildrenarrestedsignificantlyabovethenationalrate.Bycontrast,itisamatterofconcernanddisappointmentthattheBritishTransportPolicehavereporteda28percentincreaseinthenumberofchildarrestsbetween2014and2015.
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Police force 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Avon&SomersetConstabulary 7,255 5,608 4,321 2,929 2,342 1,767
Bedfordshire 1,853 1,692 1,770 1,390 1,290 1,175
BritishTransportPolice * * 1,461 1,399 1,366 1,754
CambridgeshireConstabulary 3,440 2,099 1,473 1,067 1,060 979
CheshireConstabulary 1,870 1,904 1,508 1,269 1,266 1,292
CityofLondon 273 192 136 122 77 80
ClevelandPolice 4,367 3,368 2,407 1,862 1,527 1,358
CumbriaConstabulary 1,274 1,864 1,263 1,125 1,073 1,034
DerbyshireConstabulary 4,194 3,938 ** 1,930 1,840 1,573
Devon&CornwallConstabulary 4,132 3,363 2,398 1,431 1,470 1,297
DorsetPolice 2,310 1,053 1,252 815 770 916
DurhamConstabulary 3,658 2,841 1,767 1,445 1,493 1,193
DyfedPowysPolice 2,307 1,643 1,584 1,165 687 625
EssexPolice 7,739 5,870 4,237 3,931 3,718 2,542
GloucestershireConstabulary 1,516 1,412 1,268 920 861 725
GreaterManchesterPolice *** 10,903 7,807 6,144 2,517 4,587
GwentPolice 2,503 2,163 1,698 1,569 980 1,172
HampshireConstabulary 8,267 6,533 5,091 6,058 3,192 2,295
HertfordshireConstabulary 3,948 1,809 2,478 1,776 1,753 1,632
HumbersidePolice 5,751 2,067 2,732 2,008 1,460 1,300
KentPolice 7,505 6,409 4,412 4,602 3,752 2,976
LancashireConstabulary 9,779 5,476 4,158 3,201 2,887 3,074
LeicestershireConstabulary 3,322 2,685 2,252 1,670 1,553 1,103
LincolnshirePolice *** 1,911 1,290 1,027 990 1,117
MerseysidePolice 10,197 8,421 6,213 5,066 5,295 3,273
Metropolitan 46,079 39,901 30,155 26,442 23,402 22,328
NorfolkConstabulary 2,510 2,201 1,316 1,384 1,561 1,602
NorthWalesPolice 3,420 2,596 2,022 1,780 1,554 1,577
NorthYorkshirePolice 4,525 3,644 1,152 1,556 1,445 1,317
NorthamptonshirePolice 2,594 2,177 1,660 1,289 1,270 1,115
NorthumbriaPolice 11,407 9,280 6,983 5,990 5,280 3,829
NottinghamshirePolice 5,743 4,640 2,989 2,189 2,319 1,840
SouthWalesPolice 5,659 2,551 3,166 3,245 2,978 2,854
SouthYorkshirePolice 6,235 5,094 3,344 2,693 2,285 1,812
StaffordshirePolice 4,163 3,316 2,491 1,741 1,418 1,808
SuffolkConstabulary**** 3,716 1,684 1,388 1,118 1,030 1,011
SurreyPolice 1,955 1,974 1,483 1,524 1,624 1,338
SussexPolice 5,779 4,564 4,423 4,018 3,220 2,679
ThamesValleyPolice 8,012 6,539 2,531***** 3,808 3,225 2,872
WarwickshirePolice 1,419 1,050 673 623 563 619
WestMerciaConstabulary 5,491 3,442 2,664 1,758 1,418 1,354
WestMidlandsPolice 14,387 10,487 7,484 7,123 5,803 5,438
WestYorkshirePolice 12,947 10,600 7,492 6,148 5,417 5,045
WiltshireConstabulary 2,262 1,997 1,596 1,079 1,031 1,389
TOTAL 245,763 202,961 149,988 131,429 112,062 102,666
Table 1: Number of child arrests 2010-2015 by police service area
*British Transport Police was not sent FOI requests in 2010 or 2011 **Half of the 2012 figures lost when new system was introduced *** Police force did not supply data **** Revised data provided for 2012-2015 ***** Data limited to the period 15 May to 31 December 2012 – the introduction of a new custody management database meant the force was unable to extract data from the system
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ISBN978-1-911114-08-62016
t 02072497373e [email protected] www.howardleague.org
RegisteredcharityNo.251926CompanylimitedbyguaranteeNo.898514
1ArdleighRoadLondonN14HS
9 781911 114086
ISBN 978-1-911114-08-6
Case study – Humberside policeHumbersidepolicehaveachieveda77percentreductioninthenumberofchildrenarrests,makingitthemostsuccessfulforceinthecountry.
In2009,theHullYouthCrimePartnershiplaunchedaninnovativetriageassessmentscheme,sitedwithinthepolicecustodysuiteinHull.TheaimwastoidentifychildrenwhoadmitanoffenceandwhomightbedealtwitheffectivelybyashortvoluntaryinterventionwiththeHullYouthJusticeService.Theobjectiveoftheschemewastoreduceunnecessaryformalcriminalprosecutions,andthusreducenumbersofchildrenandyoungpeopleenteringtheyouthjusticesystem.
Theideaofembeddingworkersfromthelocalyouthoffendingteaminthepolicestationofferedpoliceofficers,engagedinchargingdecisions,awiderangeofsocialcareandyouthjusticeinformation.Thiswasseenaskeytotacklingformerlyhighnumbersofchildrenandyoungpeopleenteringtheformalyouthjusticesystem.
BetweenJuly2009andMarch2016,8,863childrenhavebeeninterviewedandassessedbystafffromtheYouthJusticeService.Ofthisgroup,nofurtheractionwastakenagainst43percentofyoungpeople,26percentreceivedanoutatcourtdisposalandaninterventionfromthelocalYouthJusticeTeamand31percentwerechargedtocourt.Thispartnershiphasresultedina60percentreductioninthefirsttimeentrantstotheformalcriminaljusticesystem.Thetriageschemeensuresthatchildrenarewellsupportedincustodyandreceiveanappropriateinterventiontomeettheirneeds.Thereoffendingrateforthoseyoungpeoplewhoweredivertedfromchargeandparticipatedinavoluntaryinterventionhasremainedlowstartingat18percentinthefirstyearanddecreasingtoarecordlowof13percentinthepastyear.
Thishighlyacclaimedschemehascreatedconsiderableinterestfromanumberofpoliceforcesandyouthoffendingteams,includingadelegationfromNorthernIreland.IthasbeenwellsupportedacrossthepartnershipandisconsideredacrucialpartofjointworkingbetweenHumbersidePoliceandtheHullYouthJusticeService.
Goodlinksacrossarangeoflocalsupportingservicesprovidetargetedandconstructedinterventionsandrestorativejusticeisintegraltotheprocesswithanemphasisonresponsibilityandremorse.FurtherobjectivestosupporttheschemeincludecontinuedworkandtrainingtosupportandstrengthentherelationshipbetweenHumbersidePoliceandtheHullYouthJusticeService.NewJointProtocolshavebeenincorporatedintotheServiceLevelAgreementtooffercrisisinterventionfromthelocalChildrenandAdolescentMentalHealthService(CAMHS).
About the Howard League for Penal ReformTheHowardLeagueisanationalcharityworkingforlesscrime,safercommunitiesandfewerpeopleinprison.
Wecampaign,researchandtakelegalactiononawiderangeofissues.Weworkwithparliament,themedia,criminaljusticeprofessions,stakeholdersandmembersofthepublic,influencingdebateandforcingthroughmeaningfulchange.
Afulllistofreferencesisavailableonourwebsiteatwww.howardleague.org/what-you-can-do/children-and-policing/
