NCJ Number
123539
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 20-24
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
In response to rising juvenile crime in the County of Humberside (England), police enrolled young people between the ages of 11 and 16 in a program involving them in community-based projects.
Abstract
Over 60 percent of all crime involves juveniles, who are defined in Great Britain as being persons aged 17 or under. Figures show that 45 percent of shoplifting, 42 percent of bicycle theft, almost 40 percent of all burglaries and 20 percent of assaults are carried out by 10- to 16-year olds. The concept is that young people should work in teams of five during the summer vacation at a project they select themselves to benefit others through environmental improvement or helping the community. Prizes were offered for the team with the best completed project. Projects included clearing overgrown streams, making gardens from derelict land, and working in residential homes for the terminally ill, disabled, or elderly. Another area in which the police encouraged youngsters was to raise money for their project. As a result of the project, police public relations have been boosted.