PCC Spotlight 1: Young Adults (18-24)
This is the first in a series of spotlights highlighting promising strategies, schemes and approaches developed by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) on key issues. It focuses on young adults (aged 18-24) in contact with the police. We aim to show how PCCs can help cut crime and end ‘revolving door’ offending. We share ways of improving responses to young adults and people with multiple needs who come into repeated contact with the police. We also include examples that other areas may wish to develop and hope to inform the ongoing debate on the future of the PCC role.
Young adults (18-24) are the age group most likely to come into contact with the police – as victims and offenders. Nationally, they represent just 10% of the population, but account for:
- one-third of those commencing a community sentence
- one-third of the probation service’s caseload
- one-third of those sentenced to prison.
Local leadership is crucial in embedding a more effective approach. PCC, with a role that covers youth and adult systems, have a critical role to play. As young people place a high level of demand on the police and criminal justice agencies, reducing young adult crime and reoffending is key.
A number of common themes emerge, including:
- Exploring diversion and using restorative approaches
- Targeting support through the transition to adulthood
- Extending existing youth services and employment opportunities
- Improving policing for young adults
- Involving young adults in the development of strategies.
The most promising approaches take an ambitious ‘whole system’ view. They use the PCC’s role to bring partners together and to drive a multi-agency focus on this issue with key partners from different sectors. This spotlight shows how much we can learn from the ways different areas are seeking to tackle these issues and improve responses for young adults.
