Decade-long drop in number of Wigan criminals

Figures obtained in a recent Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Justice have revealed that there were more than 1,400 new offenders in the borough in 2006.

But by the end of 2016, a decade later, this figure had dropped by to 647 a decrease of 55 per cent.

The data also showed that the number of cautions handed out in 2006 had dropped by 73 per cent from 810 in 2006 to 215 last year.

Community sentences had also almost halved, from 208 at the end of 2006, to 120 in the same period 10 years on.

The number of police officers has also decreased nationally over the past few years, with Home Office figures showing that across the UK in 2016 there were 21,500 officers less on the streets than in 2010.

James Winterbottom, director for children’s services at Wigan Council, said: “It’s extremely encouraging to see a huge drop in the number of first time offenders in Wigan borough over the past ten years; it’s testament to the dedicated work of our staff and partners on a daily basis.

“The data and the experiences of our young people demonstrates the positive difference that The Deal makes through a clear focus on prevention and early intervention.

“We continue to transform services for children and young people in the borough in line with the deal, including within our targeted services team who work with a range of young people including those who have been in the youth justice system.”

The rate of first time offending has been slowly decreasing for the past decade, spiking in 2007 with a record number of newly-charged criminals soaring to 1,534.

But despite the dramatic decrease, the number of custodial sentences has remained relatively stable, only dropping from 42 in 2006 to 32 last year.

Overall, 2007 remained the worst year for crime in the past decade, with 852 receiving cautions, 222 given a community sentence and more than 400 dealt with in an alternative way such as fined or handed a conditional discharge.

Mr Winterbottom added: “Our restorative model of early intervention and prevention is reducing the number of young people who are in the youth justice system and is clearly making a positive impact on the borough.

“This approach has been nationally recognised and provides the opportunity for those affected by crime and anti-social behaviour to ask questions and seek a positive solution for them.

“It also gives anyone who has committed a crime the chance to accept responsibility, to apologise and to try to repair any harm caused.”