22/07/04 - Darlington's Youth Offending Service (YOS) is the best in the country according to the latest league table from the Youth Justice Board.
Darlington has earned the top ranking out of 154 local authorities in England for its success in reducing offending and re-offending by young people in the town along with significant reduction in the levels of car crime and burglary.
For the past two years there has been a reduction of eighteen per cent in vehicle crime and burglary committed by young people in Darlington. Within this timescale re-offending rates have also shown significant improvement. The work of the YOS's Early Intervention Team has been particularly successful in working with young people who are at risk of becoming involved in crime or who have found themselves in trouble with the police for the first time.
Eleanor Lister, Darlington Council's Cabinet Member for Social Services said: "We have an excellent team and its results fully justify its ranking as the best in the country. The partnerships that it has forged with the police and with other agencies and its innovative approach through initiatives such as Parenting Plus, outreach workers and referral order panels has had benefits for young people, their families and the community."