Young people across Cambridgeshire have their say on stop and search

Young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are being invited to scrutinise the way in which Cambridgeshire police officers exercise their powers to stop and search.

Following the success of the county’s Community Scrutiny Panel, young people who want to help implement positive change in their police force will now be able to request a stop and search scrutiny session at their college or local youth group. The sessions are being offered by staff from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) alongside Cambridgeshire Constabulary and can be delivered to youth groups where attendees are aged thirteen and over.

The scrutiny sessions last around two hours and aim to teach young people the grounds for why officers carry out stop and search, how these policing powers should be conducted and what the rights of the person who has been stopped are. As part of the sessions, young people will be invited to watch body worn video footage from real life incidents and have their say on how they felt officers used their powers, drawing from what they have learnt. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions and provide honest feedback about what they have seen. Through these sessions young people can learn more about policing in their community, as well as helping the Constabulary to better understand how young people view police interactions.

“Feedback from the existing Community Scrutiny Panel continues to be invaluable, however Panel members currently need to be aged sixteen or over,” said Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston.

“It is important that the voices of young people in our community are being heard therefore in order to help to make this happen, my office is working with the Constabulary to take these sessions out to young people in their communities, where we can help them understand when, why and how stop and search powers should be used.”

The youth scrutiny sessions were launched at the end of last year with sessions being held at Cambridgeshire Regional College and East Cambridgeshire Police Cadets.

All feedback from the sessions is passed on to the Constabulary and to the police officers involved so that those participating are able to have a direct impact on driving improvement within Cambridgeshire’s police service.

“Being stopped and searched can be a daunting encounter for young people, especially if it is their first contact with the police,” said Caitlin Bones, Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Inclusion and Legitimacy Co-ordinator.

“Hearing the views of young people directly on how police use this power is very important. These sessions allow the Constabulary to gain invaluable insight that can be weaved into policy and practice to ensure future encounters are positive and equally allow us to educate young people on why officers stop and search, what happens, and what they should do if they are ever stopped and searched.”

To request a youth scrutiny session at your youth group, college or university, please contact the OPCC at: [email protected] or telephone: 0300 333 3456.

For more information about the Community Scrutiny Panel, please visit: https://www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/contact-us-and-get-involved/volunteer/community-scrutiny-group/