I am a supporter of Community Cohesion Policing - when the police work with our communities and with community groups to boost crime prevention and crime detection while driving down crime. A big part of that is working with our younger generation to help them to understand what the police do and how they do it as well as encouraging them to see the police as a positive force for good in society. I want to see our police force:
- Ensure that each school has a designated police officer to build positive relationships between the police and youngsters;
- Ensure that each school is visited regularly so that police can engage with the pupils on road safety and other safeguarding issues;
- Investigate introducing a Mini Police scheme to junior schools;
But it is also a sad fact that children and teenagers are among the most vulnerable in society. They may fall victim to accidents through inexperience, or be preyed upon by criminals, sexual predators and others of evil intent. That is why I want our police to:
- Proactively engage with social services and other partners to identify and tackle problems affecting teenagers;
- Work with the universities in our city and two counties to address issues affecting students;
- Continue with the successful Police Cadets scheme;
- Continue with the programme of successful educational resources such as the “Kayleigh’s Love Story” video;
- Continue to work with the Children and Young People’s Justice Service and other partners to reduce offending and reoffending;
- Promote prevention and early intervention to protect children from abuse and harm;
- Encourage professionals such as teachers, doctors and social workers to look for signs of abuse and exploitation;
- Encourage awareness campaigns for young people to improve understanding of healthy relationships;
- Seek to bring more perpetrators of abuse and grooming to justice;
- Continue with the existing child and vulnerability strategies.
