Police praise youth crime schemes

Crime committed by young people in Lincolnshire is falling quicker than the national average, new figures have shown.

The percentage of first-time offenders in the county fell by 42.3% between April and December 2007, compared with 14.4% nationally.

The figures show only one in five youngsters in Lincolnshire reoffends.

Police have praised programmes operating in the county aimed at tackling youth crime.

Pc Alistair Town, neighbourhood policing manager for Louth, said they had tried to tackle complaints from young people that there was nothing for them to do.

"We engage with youth organisations. We explain and educate how things can lead to crime.

"As soon as you engage with young people and get them involved in making decisions about how things can change, they come up with solutions to the problem - probably the same as we would come up with but it's their idea."

The youth crime team also works with schools and families to make sure there is positive community involvement in the programme.