Child arrests in Humberside fall by 76 per cent in six years

Research by the charity has found that the force made 1,409 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 5,751 in 2010.

Across England and Wales, the total number of arrests has fallen by 64 per cent in six years – from almost 250,000 in 2010 to 87,525 in 2016.

Humberside Police Chief Inspector, Andrew Maultby, said,

“Sometimes young people make mistakes and prosecuting them through the criminal justice system may not necessarily be the best course of action.

“In fact working with young people to challenge them and address the causes of their behaviour is more likely to reduce re-offending and be far more effective than traditional criminal justice processes.

“It’s not about avoiding the arrest of criminals, but working with our partners to determine the trigger points for offences by children and to determine the most proportional response.

“By engaging with young offenders at an early stage to tackle behaviour and put pathways in place, we can help prevent repeat offending and reduce the number of future victims by nipping criminal behaviour in the bud.”

We’re also committed to tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour in a positive way.

We want to work with young people and their families if they are having difficulties, but we also want to highlight and promote the great things that young people do in the Humberside area.

The success of initiatives such as Lifestyle, Night Challenge and Rock Challenge are helping us to engage with young people, promoting positive lifestyles for youngsters and encouraging them to have the confidence to get involved in their local communities and feel comfortable talking to our officers, staff and PCSOs.