Hull partnership aiming to divert young people away from criminality

From today, a strong partnership of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner,
Humberside Police and the Safer Hull Community Safety Partnership (CSP) will be working
alongside national charity Revolving Doors Agency to prevent young adults being pulled into
the cycle of crime and crisis.

In the last year, Humberside Police dealt with 16,619 non-violent and petty crimes such as
theft and minor drug offences. Only 5 per cent of offenders were given a meaningful
diversionary or educational activity or an out of court disposal. This highlights a huge missed
opportunity to lift young people out of crisis and into a good life.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Humberside Police and Safer Hull CSP are
ambitious to address these issues and improve the life chances for young people in the area.

There is a smarter way of dealing with repeat non-violent crime

The preventative measures taken by police and Youth Offending Teams, such as triaging into
support services and restorative approaches, reduced the number of children entering the
criminal justice system in the first place. However, these approaches tend to cut off sharply
at the age of 18, regardless of the individual’s maturity or level of need.

There is also growing concern that those already in the criminal justice system are not being
effectively dealt with. Trends are telling: the proportion of adults with a history of repeat
offending is now at the highest ever level, accounting for nearly two fifths of the offending
population.

Poverty and trauma

Evidence shows that these offences are driven by persistent poverty and profound trauma.
The review published by Revolving Doors Agency today demonstrates that most local areas
do not prioritise these needs in tackling repeat offending.

Today, Revolving Doors Agency announces a partnership in Hull with the Humberside Police
and Crime Commissioner, Humberside Police and the Safer Hull CSP under their New
Generation Policing programme.
The local partnership will build intelligence about the local needs, foster partnership with local organisations and young people to develop a system wide approach to address trauma and poverty and support the local police and court-led diversion services.

Nathan Dick, Head of Policy at Revolving Doors Agency said: “We are delighted to spearhead
a strong partnership in Hull that will create a once in a generation opportunity to prevent the
cycle of crisis and crime. We know repeat low-level offending is driven by poverty, trauma and
discrimination. These are crimes of despair. If we address the causes of crime, we will make
communities safer and free up our police to deal with more serious, organised and violent
crime.”

PCC Keith Hunter said: “If we can successfully intervene to prevent young people embarking
on what could be a lifetime of creating victims by persistent re-offending we are benefiting
everyone. The young person themselves can become a productive member of society and
the upset and costs associated with being a victim of even relatively minor crime can be
avoided for many people. The costs and consequences of the mass imprisonment of these
persistent offenders can also be avoided allowing prison to be used to punish and
rehabilitate more serious offenders more effectively. I’m very happy to support this project
and look forward to its conclusions.”

Humberside Police Assistant Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “We are very pleased to
be part of the partnership aiming to prevent crime amongst young adults. We welcome any
initiative that looks to support the young people of Hull who find themselves in a pattern of
re-offending and hope that this helps to lead them in a more positive direction. Our
commitment to reducing crime and making our communities safer remains our priority and
this partnership definitely aligns with our goals.”

Tracy Harsley, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families at Hull City Council
said: “The Safer Hull Partnership are looking forward to working with Revolving Doors Agency
to understand the underlying needs of young people leaving care and how these needs can
leave them vulnerable to repeat contact with the criminal justice system. Through this
partnership we can collectively develop processes that deliver better outcomes for our
vulnerable young adults in the city.”