Number of child arrests in Warwickshire drops by nearly 70 per cent

The number of children arrested by Warwickshire Police has dropped by nearly 70 per cent since 2010.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the incidentPolice are appealing for witnesses to the incident
Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident

The figures have been shared today (Monday September 10) as part of a report by The Howard League for Penal Reform.

They show 447 child arrests were made in Warwickshire in 2017 compared with 1,417 in 2010.

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Officers have said that this drop has been because they have changed the way that they respond to incidents involving children.

They say that this has also included having a ‘proportionate response to allegations and a recognition that the police should not seek to criminalise young people unnecessarily’.

Warwickshire Police have also said that ‘the continued effective use of Restorative Justice has placed an emphasis on working with both victims and offenders to find alternative solutions’.

Assistant Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith said: “These latest figures continue to reflect the positive steps being taken, not just within Warwickshire but nationally, to ensure the best possible outcome for young people who come to the attention of the police.

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“When allegations involve a young person we must strike a careful balance between arriving at the right outcome for the victim while doing all we can to ensure the child has an opportunity to show remorse, learn from his or her mistakes and, with the appropriate support, move forward in a constructive way.

“Within Warwickshire Police we actively encourage our officers to use their professional judgement, to not simply rely on arrests and to see past the obvious when responding to an incident or crime involving a child or young person. This enables us to ensure that the response is appropriate and proportionate for each given situation.”