The youngsters who hope to shape policing

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes launched the new body at his headquarters in Winchester.

The 28 young people who applied for the posts on the commission represent youngsters from diverse backgrounds from across the county and met for the first time to draw up a list of their priorities.

A full programme of activities was arranged for the members on their first day together.

The main focus was for them to get to know each other and to come up with crime and policing ideas around the issues they may want the Youth Commission to address in their respective areas.

That led to the following priorities being agreed upon for them to work on: 

• Tackling offending and re-offending
• Improving the relationship of young people with the police (this is looking at stereotypes from both sides)
•  Anti-social behaviour
•  Drugs & alcohol
• Domestic violence and child abuse

Mr Hayes said: “I thought this first meeting of the Youth Commission went exceptionally well. It provided everyone involved with an opportunity to get to know each other and to discuss the challenges they collectively face as a representative group.

“There was certainly a depth of quality within the group who had already given me an understanding of young people’s view of policing, and what life is like for them in today’s society.

Together they have a shared enthusiasm to make a difference and I look forward to working with them all over the coming months.”

The scheme has been set up in partnership with the SHM Foundation and if successful will be rolled-out across the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The next meeting of the Youth Commission is on Thursday, August 15 which will see the launch of the Big Conversation – a three-month period during which the members will set out to canvass the thoughts of 2,000 young people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight through workshops, events, and informal conversations.