Criminal exploitation of youth is growing in city
More children being used by crime gangs amid council cuts
THE criminal exploitation of Birmingham’s youth is becoming more organised and deadly, an alarming inquiry has found.
A report by councillors reveals there are “very real concerns” in the city about child criminal exploitation (CCE), which involves children and young people being manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.
One of its forms is so-called ‘county lines’, which sees urban gangs exploiting young people into moving drugs from a large city into surrounding towns.
The chairs of the inquiry also expressed their worry over the “significant impact” that the financial challenges in Birmingham could have in the future.
Labour-run Birmingham City Council last month approved an unprecedented budget, which set out in grave detail how the crisis-hit authority will raise council tax and slash several services.
With youth services set to be impacted, one Conservative councillor warned in March that it could be a ‘golden decade for gangsters’ and feared young people could become more vulnerable to “criminal elements” if they lose access to their youth centres.
In a foreward to a report on child criminal exploitation, Cllrs Des Hughes and Kerry Jenkins warned: “At the time of concluding this inquiry, there are very real concerns about the rise in child criminal exploitation.”
They added that county lines remains a serious issue while there’s also difficulty accurately determining how many young people are actually at risk or are being exploited.
It is growing and getting worse - it has become more organised, violent and deadly Report
“The financial challenges we face here in Birmingham will have a significant impact on the non-statutory services currently delivered for children and young people,” they continued.
“This is extremely worrying given the difficulties there are already to
identify children being exploited.”
The report continued that witnesses from Birmingham’s Youth Service and third sector organisations felt that such exploitation had worsened over the last few years.
“It is growing and getting worse – it has become more organised, violent and deadly,” one grimly claimed.
Some of the factors identified as increasing the vulnerability of young people include the cost-of-living crisis, the impact of social media and disruption from the Covid pandemic.
The report made a number of recommendations to cabinet members but also argued the “urgent need” for the government to invest in and expand the provision of support and preventative services for young people.
“Two of our recommendations therefore ask the Leader and Cabinet Members to lobby the government for this investment,” it said.
“For a statutory youth service enshrined in law with sufficient ringfenced funding and a Minister for Youth, bringing together the scattergun approach to youth policy currently seen in Westminster.” The relevant cabinet members at Birmingham City Council said they were committed to using the inquiry’s findings to make a “real difference”.
“We will collaborate with stakeholders to implement the report’s recommendations and provide regular updates to protect our children and young people from exploitation,” Cllrs Karen McCarthy and Nicky Brennan said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The targeting, grooming and exploitation of children is deplorable and we remain firmly committed to working with the police and with delivery partners to tackle this horrific crime.”