Portsmouth remains highest for youth crime offences in southeast
According to Youth Justice Statistics, in England and Wales over 15,800 children were cautioned or sentenced, from April 2020 to March 2021. This has fallen by 17% in the last year, in addition to an 82% decrease over the last ten years.
However, data has revealed that Portsmouth has the highest rate of youth crime offences across the southeast.
When looking at per 1,000 of the population, data shows that Portsmouth has the highest rate of children cautioned or sentenced- even higher than London.
Despite Portsmouth remaining the highest for youth crime offences in the southeast, it has significantly decreased, alongside an overall drop in youth offences over the last five years.
However, it can be argued that this data is not representative of youth crime offences, as Portsmouth has a younger demographic compared to other areas, such as Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
In October, three teenagers were arrested after two men were threatened with a mallet, on Southsea Seafront. A 23-year-old suffered minor injuries to his face, in addition to having his iPhone and passport stolen.
The 23-year-old victim, who asked not to be named, stated: “I was shocked when I discovered the age of the offenders. I never would have thought that children of that age would be committing a crime, with the level of violence they showed.”
The Portsmouth Youth Offending Team is a multi-agency team that comprises of professionals from a variety of backgrounds, to reduce offending and reoffending. They are currently working with victims, to repair the harm caused by youth offending.
In addition, Portsmouth City Council has created a Strategic Youth Justice Plan, with 6 areas of priority. These include factors such as improving education outcomes, as well as children’s physical health and safeguarding procedures.
Police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, Donna Jones, told the News, Portsmouth: “In order for there to be any real and meaningful change, schools and the police need to be supported by parents.
“Parents play a key role in identifying changes in children’s behaviours and guiding them on making the right decisions in their teenage years.”