Number of child arrests in Cheshire down by a third
ARRESTS of children in Cheshire have fallen by more than a third over the last six years.
Figures have been published by the Howard League For Penal Reform (HLFPR).
They show that Cheshire police made 1,187 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 1,870 in 2010 or by 37%.
There were 1,904 child arrests in the county in 2011, which fell to 1,508 and 1,269 in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
The number fell once more in 2014 to 1,266 arrests of those aged 17 and under, before rising slightly to 1,292 in 2015.
Across England and Wales according to the HLFPR, the total number of arrests has fallen by 64 in six years from almost 250,000 in 2010 to 87,525 in 2016.
A HLFPR spokesman said the statistics underline the success of a major programme which involves working with police forces to keep as many boys and girls as possible out of the criminal justice system.
The total number of arrests has fallen every year since the Howard League campaign began in 2010.
HLFPR chief executive, Frances Crook, 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.
“Cheshire 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.”
According to the HLFPR, 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.
The statistics have been published in a Howard League briefing, Child Arrests In England And Wales 2016, which shows how reducing the number of children entering the system has stemmed the flow of children into custody.
Nationwide, there were 703 arrests of primary-age children – 10 and 11-year-olds – in 2016, a reduction of 18% from the previous year.
Between 2010 and 2016, the number of children in prison in England and Wales fell by 58%.
As in 2015, arrests of girls are falling at a faster rate than arrests of boys.
Police recorded a 69% drop in girls’ arrests between 2010 and 2016, and the number of girls in penal custody fell by 78% during the same period.
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.
The HLFPR spokesman added: “Keeping children out of the criminal justice system helps prevent crime.
“Academic research has shown that the more contact a child has with the system, the more entrenched they are likely to become, which increases reoffending rates.”