Child arrests by Nottinghamshire Police goes down by 76% since 2010
Arrests of children in Nottinghamshire have reduced by 76% in eight years, research published by the Howard League for Penal Reform has revealed.
Nottinghamshire Police made 1,357 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under in 2018. There were 5,743 in 2010.
Academic research has shown that every contact a child has with the criminal justice system drags them deeper into it, leading to more crime.
This is why the Howard League launched its major campaign in 2010 to reduce the number of child arrests in the county and nationwide.
It also works with police forces across England and Wales to keep as many children as possible out of the system in the first place.
Child arrest figures for Nottinghamshire Police:
2010 — 5,743
2011 — 4,640
2012 — 2,989
2013 — 2,189
2014 — 2,319
2015 — 1,840
2016 — 1,466
2017 — 1,466
2018 — 1,357
The figures for Nottinghamshire are in line with the national trend.
Data from more than 40 police forces show they made 70,078 arrests of children in 2018 — a reduction of more than 70% from almost 250,000 in 2010.
Across England and Wales, the total number of child arrests has reduced every year since the campaign began. Over the same period, the number of children in prison has been reduced by 63%.
Arrests of primary school aged children have reduced significantly. There were 383 arrests of 10 and 11-year-olds in 2018, a reduction of 38% from the previous year.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Tens of thousands of children can look forward to a brighter future without their lives being blighted by police contact and a criminal record.
“Nottinghamshire Police and other forces up and down the country have diverted resources to tackling serious crime instead of arresting naughty children.
"This will make communities safer, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part.
“Building on this success and reducing the number of arrests still further would allow even more children to thrive.”
The largest police force in the country, the Metropolitan Police, made 13,791 arrests of children in 2018.
This was a 22% reduction on the previous year, when 17,672 arrests were made, and a 70% reduction on 2010, when there were 46,079.
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