Child arrests cut by two-thirds since 2010
Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:58 pm
Arrests of children in the West Midlands have been cut by two-thirds in the last seven years, figures published today reveal
The data has been uncovered by national charity the Howard League for Penal Reform.
Its research found West Midlands Police made 4,674 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 14,387 in 2010 – a reduction of 68 per cent.
It matches the national percentage reduction across England and Wales, where the total number of child arrests has been cut from almost 250,000 in 2010 to 79,012 last year.
The charity says the statistics, compiled from responses to Freedom of Information requests, show the continued success of a major Howard League programme.
It 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 been reduced every year since the Howard League campaign began in 2010, and the impact can be seen in every police force area in the country, it says.
Yes, I've noticed!
