Fewer young first-time offenders in Bedford last year

It comes as the number of young first-time offenders decreased across England and Wales, which a charity warned may not reflect the real level of youth crime.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show 31 juveniles aged between 10 and 17 years and residing in Bedford entered the criminal justice system in 2024 – down from 33 the year before and also from 55 in 2014.

It means there were 156 young first-time offenders per 100,000 young people from the area, which is above the 138 per 100,000 average across England and Wales.

Similarly, there were 8,110 young first-time offenders in the two countries in 2024 – down slightly from 8,430 the year before, and a 62% drop from 21,252 in 2014.

The figures also show the proportion of juveniles convicted after a first offence has increased significantly – 47% of young first-time offenders received a conviction in 2024, which is a significant jump from 22% a decade earlier.

Jon Yates, chief executive officer at the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), welcomed the declining number of juvenile first-time offenders, but warned these youths do not always get the support they need after entering the criminal justice system.

He said: "If we want less crime, we need to give these children high-quality support – like mentoring or therapy. Going to court doesn’t always help with that.

"But in a recent YEF survey, nine in 10 children who committed an act of violence said they didn’t receive any support at all.

"The danger with these figures is that they could give the impression everything’s improving – when in fact, many children who need help the most may still be getting nothing."

Ross Little, trustee for The National Association for Youth Justice, also warned the figures remain "a product of decisions made by adults about how to treat children" and may not reflect actual levels of youth crime.

A MoJ spokesperson said: "We are categorical that custody should be the last resort for children, reserved for those charged with the most serious offences.

"Frontline staff are working tirelessly to turn round the lives of young people in custody and we are committed to increasing the support these children need."

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