First time youth offender level is highest in region
ABIGAIL DONOGHUE
HALTON has the highest rates of first time entrants to the youth justice system in the Liverpool city Region, according to the Office For National Statistics.
At 481.5 entrants per 100,000, the rates are also above the England average, reported in a personal wellbeing report.
Liverpool centre was a close second with 464.4 entrants to the youth justice system, the England average is only 292.5.
Other areas in the region reported similar or lower rates of entrants in comparison with the England average.
Offence rates and crimes on the crime severity score are also reported to be challenging for Hal- ● ton, as it’s score puts it second worst, behind Liverpool centre.
Halton saw an above average 107 offences per 1,000 population in the year ending March, 2018. The England average is 83.
On the Crime Severity Score, a system that gives more severe offence categories a higher weighting than less severe ones, the England average is 13.3.
Halton is just above average with a score of 14.0, however this is a significant jump, after the last eight years have seen Halton with a score of 9.2 or lower.
Crime levels are not having as much as an effect in other areas of the Liverpool City Region; all areas showed rates below the England average ranging between 72-81 offences.
The Office For National Statistics noted that studies have found fear about crime can have a real impact on personal wellbeing.
Therefore, if Halton is viewed as a high crime area, it could affect the residents personal wellbeing and have a spillover effect on well-being in surrounding areas.
However, life-satisfaction levels, anxiety levels and happiness levels, depsite being below England average in Halton, are some of the best in the region.