Greenwich's youth crime rate remains significantly higher than the national average, according to a report considered by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel on 9 July 2025. Contributing factors to this include physical and mental health issues, speech and language needs, and problems maintaining stable educational placements. Effective approaches to youth crime prevention and early intervention are those that are responsive to presenting risk and address underlying need.
The report, commissioned as part of the panel's 2025-26 work programme, revealed that the rate of first-time entrants to the youth justice system in Greenwich is 253 per 10,000, compared to 160 nationally and 192 across London. The report identifies that the rate of first-time entrants in Greenwich remains higher than statistical and geographic neighbours. This data underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and preventative measures within the borough.
The report also provided an overview of the first time entrant (FTE) cohort:
- Violence against the person is the most prevalent primary offence type: 53% of the 84 FTEs.
- Male: 83%
- Female: 17%
- Ages 16-17: 57%
- Black/ Black British - African: 29%
- Mixed: 18%
- White British: 33%
- White Other: 13%
The statutory responsibility for reducing offending and re-offending by children and young people rests with local Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). In Greenwich, these responsibilities are discharged by the Greenwich Youth Justice Service (YJS), a multi-agency team that includes youth justice professionals, social workers, a seconded probation officer, police officers, and education and health specialists. The YJS works with children aged 10 to 17 who have encountered conflict with the law or who are at risk of offending. The Greenwich Youth Justice Service (YJS) carries out a comprehensive assessment of young offenders to find out the reasons for their offending behaviour and decide the level of risk of their reoffending. This enables YJS staff to identify suitable programmes to deal with the offending behaviour with the aim of preventing further offending. Available services to address emerging issues early (universal and targeted services) as well as intervene robustly when required (targeted and specialist services) are outlined in the report.
Prevention and Engagement
The report highlighted several community and youth engagement initiatives aimed at curbing youth crime. The council works closely with voluntary and community sector services to provide positive activities with the aim of engaging children and young people and pro-actively preventing risk of needs escalating to the point of committing crimes.
Young Greenwich delivers prevention work around crime and anti-social behaviour. As part of the existing Young Greenwich contract, a range of prevention work takes place around crime and anti-social behaviour, including joint sessions delivered in Greenwich Youth Hubs between Youth Workers as part of Charlton Athletic Community Trust and the Metropolitan Police. Joint sessions are delivered in Greenwich Youth Hubs between youth workers and the Metropolitan Police, covering topics such as county lines, the new Stop and Search Charter, drug misuse, and violence against women and girls.
The council's response to the statutory Serious Violence Duty, introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, was also a key focus. The delivery of the Serious Violence Strategy will continue to be overseen by the statutory Safer Greenwich Partnership Board. The Violence Reduction Action Plan will be updated and submitted to the VRU. The council is also in the process of developing a new strategy to address violence against women and girls, which will be going out to public consultation. The council's agreed definition of serious violence encompasses:
Any violence and exploitation affecting young people and adults (with a particular focus on those under the age of 25), domestic abuse, and sexual violence. Within the context of these types of violence, it encompasses homicide, grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, personal robbery, threats to kill and violence against property caused during the commission of one of these offences.
Key findings from the Strategic Needs Assessment included a correlation between deprivation and serious violence, the impact of adverse childhood experiences on perpetrators. The council has developed a Strategic Needs Assessment, which is an analysis of available data relating to violence, deprivation and health in the borough. Key findings of the assessment included:
- There appears to be a correlation between deprivation and the prevalence of serious violence.
- Children who are perpetrators of serious violence have often experienced adverse childhood experiences.
and the overrepresentation of young people as victims and suspects in various categories of serious violence.
First time entrant figures (FTEs) had spiked, with violence against the person being the most prevalent primary offence type, accounting for 53% of the 84 FTEs.
The report mentions that a common measure of youth crime prevention is the number and rate of first-time entrants to the youth justice system. The latest published figures show that the rate of first-time entrants to the youth justice system was 253 / 10,000 compared to 160 nationally and 192 across London.
The panel was scheduled to note the 2025/26 work programme items and agree the scope. The draft meeting schedule included the Youth Crime Reduction report as an item for discussion.
