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New stats have revealed the pressure youth crime is placing on local police – with the equivalent of 33 officers required to deal with offences committed by a group just 10 youths in 2022.
The recently released States of Jersey Police Annual Report 2022 also revealed that that group alone were responsible for more than a third of all youth crime, while six children who were repeatedly reported missing during the year took around £800,000 in police resource.
Express took a closer look at the stats...
According to previous reports, 10 young offenders consistently accounted for 14% to 20% of all recorded youth crimes yearly between 2011 and 21 but were responsible for a much higher percentage of overall juvenile crime in 2022.
Even though the overall number of juvenile crimes fell by almost 30% from the previous year, the 10 'prolific offenders' were responsible for 35% of them.
When asked why these young offenders accounted for a higher percentage of overall juvenile crime in 2022, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner – a service that works to promote and protect the rights of children and young people in Jersey – said they don’t have enough data to come to a meaningful conclusion about causes.
The group of 10 were involved in a total of 1,600 incidents, got arrested 80 times, were suspects in 136 more crimes, received 74 warnings, appeared in court 69 times, were the subject of 26 parish hall inquiries, went missing 331 times, were linked to 86 crimes, committed 54 process offences, and were part of 1,364 child subject of concern reports.
Pictured: How the ‘top 10’ most demand-intensive young people affect police resources. (Statistics Jersey)
Police said that the activities of these high-demand individuals had a collective impact on resources equivalent to 33 police officers.
The report also revealed that a small number of children are costing Jersey police hundreds of thousands of pounds by regularly being reported missing.
It showed that there were 720 missing children reports in 2022, relating to 82 children in total.
Almost half of those, 328 (45% of the total) related to just six individuals.
Pictured: Each missing child costs the police over £1,000. (Statistics Jersey)
The report said: "When children go missing, particularly on a regular basis, they are potentially vulnerable to criminal or sexual exploitation.
"Some are prolific offenders in their own right."
The report said each missing person investigation costs the force more than £1,000 and that the cumulative cost is nearly £800,000.
The report only covered 2022, while more recent stats are yet to be compiled.
However, last month it emerged that detectives were investigating a spate of vandalism, graffiti and arson believed to have been committed by children as young as 13.
All of the 12 offences were committed in St Helier, according to the States police, with half allegedly carried out by the teens in a single day.
A break-in, vandalism and suspected arson attack at d’Auvergne School, small fires in public toilets and a serious blaze at the former South Hill Planning offices – which resulted in four fire engines, 18 firefighters and a command support unit being called out – are now all under investigation.
IN NUMBERS: 2022 crime statistics
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