
The Government has published a youth crime action plan, investing £100 million to stop young people from starting lives of crime.
The cross departmental strategy includes plans to get young people off the streets late at night, intensive support for the most problematic families and tougher and more visible Community Payback sentences for young people.
Overall youth crimeremains stable. However there are areas where challenges remain and impact heavily on people's lives - particularly around alcohol-related crime, gangs and young people carrying knives.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"We know that the vast majority of young people recognise right from wrong and make a positive contribution to our society. There are a minority however who persist in anti-social behaviour and some in more serious criminal activity.
"Youth Crime can have a devastating effect on victims and communities and must be tackled head-on. Today I want to send the message to perpetrators that their actions are unacceptable. They must understand the consquences their behaviour has not only on victimes and communities but on their families and their futures.
"Increasingly we are able to identify these young people early and intervene to address the root causes of their behaviour, including supporting and challenging their parents in meeting their responsibilities.
"But I want to call on parents to play their part. Though enforcement and policing is only one part of the solution. The new action we are launching today gives equal weight to the triple-track approach of intensive prevention, tough enforcement and support for parents."
Overall youth crimeremains stable. However there are areas where challenges remain and impact heavily on people's lives - particularly around alcohol-related crime, gangs and young people carrying knives.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"We know that the vast majority of young people recognise right from wrong and make a positive contribution to our society. There are a minority however who persist in anti-social behaviour and some in more serious criminal activity.
"Youth Crime can have a devastating effect on victims and communities and must be tackled head-on. Today I want to send the message to perpetrators that their actions are unacceptable. They must understand the consquences their behaviour has not only on victimes and communities but on their families and their futures.
"Increasingly we are able to identify these young people early and intervene to address the root causes of their behaviour, including supporting and challenging their parents in meeting their responsibilities.
"But I want to call on parents to play their part. Though enforcement and policing is only one part of the solution. The new action we are launching today gives equal weight to the triple-track approach of intensive prevention, tough enforcement and support for parents."