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| Photograph by J D Mack |
Figures compiled by the
Howard League for Penal Reform suggest that the number of children arrested by the police has fallen by a third since 2008.
Police arrested 209,000 under-18s in 2011, down from 315,923 in 2008. The Howard League said 10 forces in England and Wales had halved the number of children taken into custody.
The figures, compiled through a freedom of information request to all 43
police forces in England and Wales, include more than 2,100 children
aged 10 - which is the age of criminal responsibility - and 11.
The director of campaigns at the Howard League, Andrew Neilson, said a
move away from a mandatory target system for police was likely to be
the main reason for the third successive fall.
He said: "In 2008, the first year we have data for, the target culture was coming to an end.
"At that time, police services were being ranked on the
number of arrests they were processing, and to a degree children were
low-hanging fruit that helped the police reach their arrest targets.
"While some police services still use these targets
informally, we are seeing a move back towards a discretion-led, common
sense approach, and that's reflected in the figures.
"I suspect there are a lot of things that the police are
doing to reduce arrests, ranging from restorative justice disposals to
triage arrangements at police stations, where a youth offending team
worker will interview a young person to see if there are any welfare
issues."
