Gang crime in inner cities could lead to more Shropshire children becoming offenders.
Keith Barham, head of service West Mercia Youth Justice Service, yesterday warned of the impact of crimes that involve exploitation of children.
In particular he noted the County Lines operation which is seeing inner city gangs and crime networks using children to deal drugs.
He said the concern is that it could lead to a rise in the number of first-time offenders in Shropshire after the previous decade has seen numbers decrease.
Mr Barham explained: “The number of people coming in for the first time has been falling and has been for some time now, probably since 2007.
“In recent times those numbers have started to level out but nationally it continues to reduce.
“However, it would seem we are now seeing a rise in recorded crimes and seeing quite different types of crime that are actually drawing young people in.”
He continued: “The County Lines gets young people being drawn into the supply chain for drugs and are being organised by gangs in inner cities reaching out into rural area.
“We have as a service and management board raised our concerns.”
According to the service’s 2018/19 Justice Plan the number of first time entrants – those receiving a youth justice sanction – in West Mercia in 2017 was 354 per 100,000 of 10 to 17 year olds, down from 408 in 2016.
Shropshire saw a slight increase from 2016 to 329, while the average in England was 295.
The number of custodial sentences for 2017 was 0.11 per 1,000 10 to 17 year olds in West Mercia, compared to 0.38 in England, and 0.25 in Shropshire.
Nick Bardsley, Shropshire Council’s portfolio holder for Children and Young People, said nationally 28 per cent of the population in prison spent their childhood in care.
And he noted that in the last month six care leavers have ended up in custody.
He said that although the issue is not specific to Shropshire, the council must do more to support young people when they leave care in same way that they would their own children or grandchildren.
He continued: “Children are in care because something pretty horrendous has happened. They don’t go into care because everything is going swimmingly at home.
“We have to take responsibility and do something about why so many of our young people do end up in the criminal justice system.”
