THE number of youths who reoffend in Bedfordshire has dropped, according to recent figures.
The latest reoffending rate was calculated by monitoring 243 youngsters who were registered with the Youth Offending Service between October and December 2005.
They were tracked for a year and it was found that 76 reoffended.
Those figures, com
pared to a similar study five years ago, show the reoffending rate has dropped by just over 21 per cent.
Cllr David Reedman, cabinet member for children and young people, says it shows the effect hardworking youth offending officers can have.
The officers can deal with the youngsters in a number of ways and one of the most successful methods has been to bring offenders face to face with the victims of crime.
One young offender confirmed how this had worked, saying: "I get to understand how another victim feels by verbal abuse or feeling intimidated by other youths."
The youth offending team also work with offenders on community projects such as removing graffiti and taking care of public gardens. They encourage them to turn their back on crime through education or employment, and now also support parents so they can set firm rules and guidelines.
Glen Denham, the head of Bedfordshire County Council's Youth Offending Service, added: "Most important to reducing reoffending is my team's strong management of new offenders. We make them well aware that if they do not respond to our services they will find themselves back in court and facing the risk of further penalties."
