Working with young people
Police Service of Northern Ireland's hard-hitting Roadsafe Roadshow
Pupils from Belfast High, Edmund Rice College, Monkstown Community School, Ballyclare Secondary and Ballyclare High gathered for the roadshow at Belfast High School on Thursday, 8th March 2012.
Supported by AXA Insurance, Cool FM and Newtownabbey Community Safety Partnership, the roadshow recognises that many of those killed and injured on our roads are under 25 years old. And using the narrative of a tragic night out, it aims to educate and positively influence young drivers about to start out on what will hopefully be along and safe motoring career. Inspector Colin Audley believes that education is key in reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
"I have no doubt that those who attend the Roadsafe Roadshow are often shocked, perhaps even horrified, by what they see. We make no apology for that," he said. "We believe that by realistically portraying what can happen on our roads we can have a very real impact on future drivers. It is our hope that after seeing the roadshow they will have a greater understanding of just how vulnerable they can be on the road. We want them to understand that they are not indestructible and that they must respect the road and other users."
The roadshow, involving police officers, fire and ambulance crews along with hospital staff and Victim Support, has so far been seen by over 94,000 teenagers across Northern Ireland. Inspector Audley added : "We are extremely pleased with the number of schools from across the area who have demonstrated their commitment to road safety by attending the roadshow.
"We are also very grateful to Belfast High School for facilitating us in bringing the road sense and road safe messages to our highest risk group - our young people."
Councillor Robert Hill, Chairman of Newtownabbey Community Safety Partnership said: 'Road Safety is a key issue which has been highlighted to use time after time. We in the Newtownabbey Community Safety Partnership hope that by helping to bring the Roadsafe Roadshow to local pupils and would-be drivers we can go some way to improving road safety in the Newtownabbey borough and ultimately save lives."
Youth Diversion Officers
The role of the Youth Diversion Officers is to implement and manage the Youth Diversion Scheme. They make recommendations in relation to warnings, cautions and prosecutions for people under 18 years of age. These officers also administer Informed Warnings and cautions to attend Youth Conferences as directed by the Public Prosecution Service.
In partnership with their colleagues the Youth Diversion Officers identify people involved in anti-social behaviour or crime and work with other statutory and voluntary agencies to prevent and rehabilitate young offenders.
Community and Schools Liaison Officers
The Community and Schools Liaison Officers' main role is to deliver the Citizenship and Safety Education (CASE) programme in primary and secondary schools.
CASE Programme
Police understand the role that education plays in developing an awareness of personal safety. The CASE programme provides a platform for police officers to work in partnership with teachers, parents and pupils to attend schools and community groups and present lessons that promote skills, attitudes and values around issues from drugs awareness to anti-social behaviour.
D District PSNI and Cool FM Anti Social Behaviour Initiative
The PSNI and Cool FM have developed an exciting new initiative aimed at making young people more aware of the impact of anti social behaviour.
The initiative saw on various dates during 2011 and 2012, 480 young people from St Colms Secondary School Dunmurry, Ballyclare Secondary School, Monkstown Community School and youth groups from Whitehead take part in specific workshops with local police onboard the Cool FM bus.
The bus is divided into a number of interactive 'stations' each designed to engage the young person and provoke thought and debate around the issue of anti-social behaviour. At first they are asked to listen to local police as they outline the possible consequences of anti-social behaviour both for the young person and for the community. They then move on to script their own radio advertisement on the subject of anti-social behaviour before going on to record their ad.
Once completed the ads were Blue toothed to the pupils who can then share them with their friends or upload to Twitter and Facebook spreading their message to a potentially global audience.
During phase two of the initiative, 15 pupils from each of the initiative venues then spent the day at the state of the art Cool FM studios in Newtownards. The lucky few will got the chance to record ads in the commercial studio and even script and record their very own radio show. As a memento of the day they were able to take their recordings away on a special pen drive.
PSNI Community Safety Inspector Colin Audley said, 'Anti-social behaviour is one of those issues that raise it's head time and time again. We know the impact it has on communities but we also know that many young people don't. Often we find that some young people genuinely don't believe they are doing anything wrong. That's why it's important for us to make them aware of their actions, of perceptions about teenagers and anti-social behaviour, and of the possible consequences for them of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour.
This initiative between ourselves and Cool FM is unique in that instead of lecturing our young people and telling them 'don't do it' we are sharing our experiences as police with them and then allowing them to express their views. Through their ads we're able to see things from their side and explore ways of involving young people in finding long term solutions to ASB issues'.
Jackie Ellis Cool FM's Projects Manager said ' We are so pleased to facilitate this wonderful initiative alongside our police colleagues. The Cool FM bus presents a unique and neutral environment for young people and police to come together and exchange views but also to have fun. Scripting, recording and editing your own ad is an exciting process and one not many people have the chance to become involved with. I'm hopeful that the young people will take away with them all the practical information police have to offer and share the experience with their friends, building better relationships for the future.'
'A Better Understanding' Youth Engagement Exercise 5/12/11 Mossley Mill
On Monday 5th December 2011 D District PSNI Community Safety held 'A Better Understanding' youth engagement exercise at Mossley MIll, Newtownabbey. The event, the first of it's kind in the area,saw the three youth councils from Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Lisburn Rural come together to experience 'life' as a police officer.
The four hour interactive exercise put young people in the role of a police officer, asking them to react to a dynamic situation by making live decisions on attending calls and deciding what actions they could or should take in response to a variety of different incidents.
The exercise also examined the use of Intelligence and Tactical Support Groups providing an excellent opportunity for the young people to explore the work of the wider police family.
Inspector Colin Audley who organised the event said, "The purpose of this unique exercise was to enable our young people to see what it is like for an operational police officer to pursue an investigation while still giving consideration to the needs of the community.
The focus of today was not on law and procedure but on dealing with community concerns, vulnerabilities and preventing serious harm through partnership working. I hope that by taking part the young people from the three youth councils have gained a valuable insight into how police, communities and other agencies can come together to defeat criminality".
Also present were members from the District Policing Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships from Antrim and Newtownabbey.
This initiative is one that will be delivered to other groups throughout the district.
