A-Z of Crime Prevention: YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Good afternoon Resident

I hope you have enjoyed a pleasant weekend. As we near the end of this A-Z of Crime Prevention series, I thought this week would focus on a more light-hearted topic of Youth Engagement. Officers on your local Neighbourhood Policing Team regularly focus on youth engagement both in and out of schools, as we think it is important for young people to see positive role models in the Police from a young age. At this time in the calendar year, we are very fortunate to be invited to School Events such as Summer Fayres and Community Days, an opportunity we hope will give families, young people, and members of the school community a chance to hop into our Police cars (for the right reasons) and ask us questions.

One Police-led programme which we run in primary schools is the Mini Police programme. The principal aim of the Mini Police programme is to create a fun and interactive volunteering opportunity for children age 9-11 years old in primary schools across Hertfordshire. We believe that through positive interaction, children develop and maintain trust in the Police. Throughout the programme, local officers encourage meaningful conversations with young people by focusing on topics such as Anti-Social Behaviour, Road Safety, Personal Safety, and Internet Safety. We often work in partnership with schools to facilitate a community problem-solving project such as litter picking, school parking, or road safety awareness posters. We often receive excellent feedback from parents, school stakeholders, and students who have participated in the Mini Police programme and I’d like to take this opportunity to invite any schools / PTAs who hadn’t heard of the Programme but are now interested in enrolling their school, to please Reply to this message expressing interest. 

For more information, I have linked a recent article from the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office here: Hertsmere ‘Mini Police’ educate fellow pupils on policing and crime. 

Youth engagement can also extend to Police working with local community groups such as the Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Rainbows, Beavers & Cubs. Equally, we love to work with military youth groups such as the Air, Army, and Sea Cadets to equip them with life skills and educate them on a role in the Police Service. If you run, or are involved in, a youth club within the St Albans District and you would like a visit from your local Neighbourhood Policing Team, please do enquire by Replying to this message and we will endeavour to organise something in the near future. 

On that note, have you ever heard of the Police Cadets? Aimed at young people aged 13-18 years with an interest in Policing, the Police Cadets offers opportunities and experiences to develop skills, promote confidence, and support the local community. As well as learning about police procedures and the law, cadets also play a vital role in community events, engaging with members of the public and educating them on crime prevention. The St Albans and Harpenden Cadets meet every other Tuesday during term time between 19:00-21:00hrs. If you know someone who may be interested in joining the Police Cadets, more information can be found here: Apply to join the police cadets | Hertfordshire Constabulary. As always, if you or your young person has any questions about being a Police Cadet, please don’t hesitate to contact us by Replying to this message. 

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Until next week. 

Fiona