Less children are being arrested by West Yorkshire Police
The figure has fallen by 64% in six years.
Arrests of children by West Yorkshire Police have fallen by 64% in the last six years, figures published by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today.
Research by the charity has found that the force made 4,663 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 12,947 in 2010.
Across England and Wales, the total number of arrests has also fallen by 64 per cent in six years – from almost 250,000 in 2010 to 87,525 in 2016.
Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said:
“For the sixth year running, we have seen a significant reduction in child arrests across the country. This is a tremendous achievement, and we will continue to support police forces to develop their good practice and reduce the number to an absolute minimum." The Howard League regularly meets and corresponds with forces and shares examples of good practice in local areas. The briefing states that the positive trend across police forces has been led at a national level, most notably by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which has prioritised improvements in the policing of children.
“West Yorkshire Police should be applauded for their positive approach, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part in a transformation that will make our communities safer."
“By working together, we are ensuring that tens of thousands of children will have a brighter future and not be dragged into a downward spiral of crime and custody.”
Every police force in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2016 than in 2010. All but four forces brought down their number of arrests by more than half.
Nationwide, there were 703 arrests of primary-age children (10- and 11-year-olds) in 2016, a reduction of 18 per cent from the previous year.
Between 2010 and 2016, the number of children in prison in England and Wales fell by 58 per cent.
As in 2015, arrests of girls are falling at a faster rate than arrests of boys. Police recorded a 69 per cent drop in girls’ arrests between 2010 and 2016, and the number of girls in penal custody fell by 78 per cent during the same period.