Budget cuts, youth crime going up – something has to be
done! I go to an all-boys school, and most of them are at risk to falling down
the route of crime. I started to work alongside the police to help stop this
and to make the police more aware on what issues are facing young people
nowadays. I spend most of my time helping one young person who is at high risk
of going into crime – yet he has so much potential! I’m spending nearly every
half-term holiday on patrol with the police to keep a measure of this: helping
the police to get an understanding of what’s really happening with young
people.
Out on patrol
Two weeks ago, I went out on patrol again
with the police; and apart from being called thugs, threatened to be taken to
court and having a firework chucked at us… it was really interesting! We went
patrolling around an area that has quite a high rate a deprivation and we kept
on coming across this one group of young people that were being intimidating
from a gang in the city. They were out on the street corners during the
half-term holiday when it was pitch black and their Youth Centre was closed!
Now in London they have a scheme called the Volunteer Police Cadets and this is something I'm trying to replicate up here in the West Midlands because it's such a valued scheme – that has changed nearly 2,100 young people’s lives!
Now in London they have a scheme called the Volunteer Police Cadets and this is something I'm trying to replicate up here in the West Midlands because it's such a valued scheme – that has changed nearly 2,100 young people’s lives!
I’ve put this to both senior
officers in West Midlands police and the front line officers (who interact with
young people every day) - and they love this idea! Work is on-going on this
scheme, but it’s something I have to do: making connections with senior police
officers to make sure young people’s voices are heard. I'm always in direct
communications with senior officers because they are the officers who make the
decisions that can HELP you get your voices heard!
But don’t think that the police are out of touch with young people - because they’re not! Last Thursday I spent the morning with Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner (Local Policing Unit Commander for Solihull) at the World Skills show and it was amazing seeing how many young people were coming up to her and asking her questions on policing nowadays. We went round each stall seeing the opportunities that we have was amazing young people were signing up to apprenticeships, joining up for college placements – and all this from one show!
"There is no greater opportunity for young people to get into employment and training than at the skills show." Sally is a great advocate for young people and always wants to engage with young people in everything she does. That’s why she attends the skills show every year to meet young people. She has established many youth engagements schemes on the borough too - it’s important that the police take this approach as we are the next generation!
It’s so important that as young people we are taken seriously and not stereotyped - and the police listen to us - because at the end of the day, we have a voice and we have rights too!
With Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner
But don’t think that the police are out of touch with young people - because they’re not! Last Thursday I spent the morning with Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner (Local Policing Unit Commander for Solihull) at the World Skills show and it was amazing seeing how many young people were coming up to her and asking her questions on policing nowadays. We went round each stall seeing the opportunities that we have was amazing young people were signing up to apprenticeships, joining up for college placements – and all this from one show!
"There is no greater opportunity for young people to get into employment and training than at the skills show." Sally is a great advocate for young people and always wants to engage with young people in everything she does. That’s why she attends the skills show every year to meet young people. She has established many youth engagements schemes on the borough too - it’s important that the police take this approach as we are the next generation!
It’s so important that as young people we are taken seriously and not stereotyped - and the police listen to us - because at the end of the day, we have a voice and we have rights too!
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