Merseyside Youth Commission publishes priorities and recommendations for Merseyside Police and Police Commissioner
30.01.25 - Merseyside
The Merseyside Youth Commission have published their personal report to Merseyside Police which details their five priorities and recommendations young people would like Merseyside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to know about.
Funded by the force, the Youth Commission was formed back in September 2023 with the help of ‘Leaders Unlocked’, a not-for-profit organisation which enables ‘young people to have a stronger voice and influence over the issues that affect their lives’.
Throughout the past year, members of the Youth Commission have conducted a range of interactive workshops and surveys with more than 1,500 young people from across the region, all with different life experiences, skills and backgrounds.
Collectively, the young people have agreed the top priorities for the force should be:
- Gang and knife crime
- Domestic violence and youth protection
- Night-time safety
- Crime prevention and education
- Relationships with the police
Some examples of their recommendations for Merseyside Police include:
- To increase night-time police patrols in high-risk areas of crime, especially at night
- Expand the presence of officers in education settings, to prevent young people from bringing in weapons
- Enforce the sale of permits to limit unmonitored knife sales and control the transport of non-kitchen knives
- Deploy specialist training to officers, ensuring they understand, empathise and comfort young people when reporting a case of domestic abuse
- To work more closely with the Youth Commission to further develop interactive workshops in schools and introduce PCSO’s to conduct assemblies and talks focused on the role of police and young people’s rights
- Patrols should be more interactive with their community and engage in general friendly conversation with young people
Some examples of their recommendations for the Police Commissioner include:
- Continue to raise awareness on the impacts of social media on perceptions of violence
against women and girls, ensuring more appropriate role models are highlighted to young people to remove the negative stigma around domestic abuse. - Work with the MYC and invite more young people onto Police panels, and other events
looking at the consequences and rehabilitation methods of young ofenders.
To dedicate more funding to create safer areas and youth clubs with trained support workers
to provide positive role models and for PCSO’s and schools to form a stronger connection with
youth groups increase accessibility for young people with history of ofending.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Young people are our future, so it is vitally important that we take every opportunity to listen to their voices, especially on the issues that matter most to them, such as policing.
“Earlier in the year, we attended ‘The Big Conversation’ event where members of the Youth Commission presented to us their on priorities, the things that affect their age groups most. It was a very powerful event and to receive their feedback on things like gangs, knife crime, domestic violence and youth protection, will help us all improve the way we work with future generations of young people across our region, to improve their prospects and opportunities, whilst fostering greater links and relationships between them and our police officers.
“Their research and valuable input will help us to continue to make a positive difference and make our communities even safer for them.”
Head of Prevention, Matt Smith said: "Collaboration with the Merseyside Youth Commission has provided Merseyside Police with an invaluable insight into the views and opinions of young people across Merseyside, from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. It has led to meaningful engagement and enabled us to work together with a group of diverse young people on policing and other key issues that affect them the most.
"Many of these young people have lived experience in a number of areas and may not normally have their voices heard on such issues. The Youth Commission has provided them with a platform to share their key concerns and develop tangible recommendations that we can utilise in the future. It has been a fantastic project which we hope will be the foundation to further collaboration with young people across Merseyside.”