Safety on the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been revealed as young people’s top concern at the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Youth Conference
Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, welcomed her Youth Commission’s recommendations on how young people would like street safety, hate and hostility and substance misuse tackled in the future.
‘Safe on the streets’ came out as the top concern for young people in the Youth Commission’s Big Conversation survey, with 62% of the 1,614 responses.
Emily Woods, 16, said:
“Everyone has a right to feel safe wherever they are and should not be made to feel uncomfortable. As young people, we need to be the ones to make the change now, so the next generation will not have to worry about walking home.”
Hate and hostility came 2nd and substance misuse 3rd. Other issues such as mental health support, domestic violence advocacy and rebuilding trust with the police were also important.
At the conference on Saturday 19th November the Youth Commission put all their recommendations to the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Terry Norton on how these issues could be tackled by the police and partner agencies that work with young people to make the streets safer.
The recommendations set out how young people would like to see organisations work together to make improvements to the safety of young people, as well as more funding for safety projects, education and campaigns on particular crime types, and harsher sanctions for perpetrators.
The top recommendations included:
- Education and raising awareness: More education for young people on what constitutes sexual assault, harassment and stalking, what the consequences are for committing these crimes and the impacts these crimes have on victims. Raising awareness on social media about hate and stopping it at source, and creating campaigns and workshops to advertise the negative impacts of drug abuse.
- More funding and safety initiatives and training: Improve street safety at night by implementing lighting in rural and community areas, together with an increase in security and police presence at these times to prevent crimes. Ask for Angela type schemes should be well known in venues and providing later night buses will ensure there are safe ways to get home. Promote being an up-stander and build a culture of respect.
- Listen to victims and provide support: Look at using harsher sanctions against perpetrators of violence against girls and consider the impact on the victim. This recommendation came from school-aged females in particular who felt that their reports and concerns were often dismissed by schools. The Youth Commission suggested ways in which to enforce harsher sanctions is by having less people being let off on warnings and to make people more aware of the sanctions of committing the crimes before they act. On substance misuse, support for those with addictions was put forward in order for people to discuss their experiences and support each other.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Terry Norton, said:
“I would like to thank the young people who have contributed to the development of these recommendations, including members of the Youth Commission, who have given up their free time to consult with their peers, and those young people who have shared their ideas and experiences with them.
“The sharing of these recommendations with the police, local authorities and third sector partners will ensure that the voices of young people are heard by decision makers and partners whose responsibility it is to keep young people safe.”
Within the Recommendation Report some of the Youth Commission members explain what they have learned and achieved over the past year working on the key topics. To find out more about the Youth Commission and to view the Recommendations Report visit www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/youthcommission.
stop wasting money on rubbish like this and get some extra bobbies on the beat
Very true, it worked years ago and them days they did not have modern technology
only whistles.
those young people will be 18 soon and adults – then they can look forward to their utopian ideas of the state pandering to them, smacking the wall of reality really hard, unless they claim benefits of course. Once they pick theirselves up off the floor, they will soon see that the councillors and all other “vested interests” are only in it for themselves and what they can rinse the taxpayer for.
those new young adults will learn that life lesson soon enough and join the rest of us, fending for ourselves, providing our own safety measures and laughing at how we thought we could change the world when we were younger.
An excellent post Iow’r
They will see why Granny and Gandpops were so different in their opinions of not wanting constant immigration into the UK, as they queue way back in line for a doctor, a dentist, a home, a job, or in worst cases to be cleaned up after s exual assaults, and acts of barbaric knife, machete, acid, gun or just gang violence.
They will realise, sadly, the horror of having to have all you have been indoctrinated with over a decade or more of ‘education’ of putting first anyone who is a drain on society, be it unemployed, drug or alcohol abusers, those with mental illnesses or physical, comes at a massive and increasing cost to ‘be nice’.
But, sadder still, they will blame it all on the ‘old attitudes’ .
thanks James – they certainly will blame everyone but themselves.