New figures show low youth crime levels

New figures released by the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Ian Le Marquand, indicate that Jersey's youth crime levels for the first half of 2013 remain at a very low level.

 

Senator Le Marquand said “The pattern of a major reduction in levels of youth crime has continued in the first half of 2013. In the figures for the number of cases presented to the Youth Court, I was surprised by the 2011 figure and very pleasantly surprised by the 2012 figure, but the 2012 trend is being continued.”

 

​Youth Court cases	​2009	2010​	2011​	2012​	2013 (6 months)​
	​344	253​	179​	71​	30​

Set out below are the comparable figures for those aged under 18 in the Young Offenders Institution at the Prison and in Greenfields Remand Centre in relation to criminal charges and for the number of offences committed by under-18s.

  

​Young Offenders Institute admissions	​2009	​2010	​2011	​2012	​2013 (6 months)
	​20	​41	​18	​6	​3

 

​Young people on remand in Greenfields (criminal charge related) ​	​2009	​2010	​2011	​2012	​2013 (6 months)
	​26	​20	​9	​4	​2

 

Senator Le Marquand added “There has been a significant shift in the recent pattern of levels of youth crime, and this continues to be a very good news story. A member of my staff has recently produced a report entitled ‘Youth Offending in Jersey’, which is available as R.101/2013 on the States Assembly website.

 

"The report celebrates the good practice that is occurring Island-wide in government agencies, businesses, and voluntary, community and faith-based groups, and acknowledges the real reduction in youth offending being experienced by the Island as evidenced by the above statistics.

 

"The findings, however, indicate that this welcome reduction is being experienced in other jurisdictions, not just in Jersey. The evidence from both the Island and other places points to the advent of internet usage as a link. Consequently, we have recognised that there are potential concerns arising with regard to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, the changing nature of crime, crimes committed online, the collection of reliable data about internet crimes and the laws that we have to deal with this."