Child arrests across Nottinghamshire fall by 76 per cent

The data, published by the Howard League for Penal Reform revealed that Nottinghamshire Police made 1,357 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under in 2018.

This compares to 1,466 in the previous year and 5,743 back in 2010, when the Howard League launched a major campaign to reduce child arrests nationwide.

Data from more than 40 police forces show that they made 70,078 arrests of children in 2018 – a reduction of more than 70 per cent from almost 250,000 in 2010.

Across England and Wales, the total number of child arrests has been reduced every year since the campaign began. Over the same period, the number of children in prison has been reduced by 63 per cent.

Arrests of primary school-age children have been reduced significantly.- there were 383 arrests of 10- and 11-year-olds in 2018, a reduction of 38 per cent from the previous year.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Gowan, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Nottinghamshire Police takes child welfare and safeguarding very seriously and will always seek to take a restorative approach when an offender is a child.

“We have recently invested in putting officers back into schools to deal with any issues as they arise and engage with children so they understand the police are there to help and not solely to prosecute.

“With the help of our partners, we are an active member on Child Exploitation Panels that help protect children from being involved in serious, violent and drug related crime.”

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.”