Young people given a voice through a Police Youth Advisory Group

A youth panel called the Shropshire Police Youth Advisory Group (PYAG) has been set up by West Mercia Police and Shropshire Council’s engagement team so that young people can inform police practice and air their concerns about their safety and public protection. 

The group was formed following a request from the police to talk to young people and address the issues which affect them. 

At the time, Shropshire Council’s countywide Young People’s Speak Out (SO) Group suggested that, for young people to inform police practice, they needed to understand what that was, and that the police needed to meet with young people on an ongoing basis.  The idea of a youth panel was formed, and young people from different groups across the county were invited to join, as the police were keen to have as wide a representative group of young people as possible. 

In the initial meetings, the purpose of the group, the name of the group, and changing the police’s job titles from youth inclusion officer to youth engagement officer, were all set out.  Young people felt the old title of ‘youth inclusion’ felt that they were not included in the first place, so needed someone specific to include them.  The group meets every six weeks, and they are currently exploring how they can include more young people through social media, who don’t necessarily wish to attend meetings but would like to be involved. 

All the sessions are planned out by police officers, supported by the council’s engagement team.  They are highly creative and interactive sessions.  

One example is ‘Stop and Search’, a contentious issue for some young people, which was explored with a frank and open discussion.  Police officers explained how the powers to stop and search were used, why stop and search is an essential tool to fight crime ,and the justification required behind each and every stop and search.  To highlight these points, members of the group were given a scenario to consider, before being asked if they had sufficient grounds within law to stop and search.  The session left the group with a very positive attitude towards stop and search.  

Other opportunities the group have been involved in include meeting a police dog handler and their sniffer dog with a demonstration of what the dogs do, as well as finding out about issues such as domestic violence and terrorism.

Karen Burgoyne, Shropshire Council’s deputy Cabinet member for education and skills, said:

“This group is proving to be a great success.  Young people really value the opportunity to find out and inform police work, and the police really value the opportunity to implement the young people’s input into their work.”

Luke Harper, PYAG member, said:

“It’s a great opportunity for young people to learn about, and be able to influence, police practice for the benefit of all young people.”

PC Scott Smither said:

“We really enjoy working with the group, as it gives us an opportunity to explain different types of police work and then listen to the thoughts, concerns and recommendations from the young people.”

Future meetings will cover a range of topics, from perceptions of crime to restorative justice, and policing roles to enjoyable exercises on policing tactics. The police and the council will also be asking the young people what they want to know about the police and also what they want the police to know, ensuring that the discussions are suitable for the age group present.

For further information about PYAG contact PC Scott Smither, Youth Engagement Officer, West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000, email scott.smither@westmercia.pnn.police.uk; or Dawn Lewis, Shropshire Council’s engagement team, on 01743 253899, email dawn.lewis@shropshire.gov.uk; or visit the website www.shropshireyouth.com/index.php?id=1082.