Youth crime on the rise in Glasgow
Figures show there were more than 3900 incidents last year.
The number of crimes committed by children in Glasgow has increased for the third year in a row.
Figures revealed in a community justice report for 2018/19 show more than 3900 incidents last year involving young people between the age of eight and 15. This is up from 2742 in 2015/16.
The rise is "out of step" with most other age groupings and a "clear picture" of what has caused it has yet to be established.
There was an almost five percent rise year-on-year, with 3720 incidents in 2017/18 and 3903 in 2018/19.
A council officer said: "We do not yet have a clear picture of what is driving these increases, we do know that there is a strong link between deprivation, inequality and crime.
"Recent economic factors are likely to offer some explanation, but we need to fully understand what other factors are contributing – this will be a key focus of the One Glasgow and the Youth Justice Strategy Group partners going forward."
The most significant rise in offending stemmed from crimes of dishonesty, housebreaking and vehicle crime.
Police Scotland’s figures reveal a fall in recorded crimes for all other age groups – 16 to 18, 18 to 21 and 21 to 25.
Incidents, in the 21 to 25 bracket, have been cut by more then half since 2012/13, with 4681 incidents last year compared to 9485. The other groups have seen similar declines.
The One Glasgow initiative takes a partnership approach to youth crime.
Sergeant Michael Fletcher, One Glasgow hub supervisor for Police Scotland, said: "Having access to appropriate, up-to-date data and intelligence, to proactively identify and reach out to young people at risk of and/or getting involved in offending behaviour, at the earliest possible point, for me, is the biggest factor in One Glasgow’s contribution to the impressive reductions in the number of young people in our city committing offences, re-offending, being convicted or re-convicted of crime, seen across Glasgow in recent years, amongst our younger demographic."
"These young people often come from backgrounds blighted by poverty, very unstable family circumstances, addictions, early childhood trauma etc.
"Our partners are our biggest asset, providing the skills and expertise across a variety of services to reach out to our young people and meet the wide ranging, often complex, needs, and underlying drivers of their offending behaviour, giving them that sense of purpose and hope – we could not deliver this on our own."
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