Recruitment has now opened for 14-25 year olds acrossSussexto join my Youth Commission in 2015-16.
The Sussex Youth Commission started out as a pilot project [in January 2014], to enable young people to become part of the solution to tackling crime, rather than being seen as part of the problem.
This year, members have reached out to over 2,000 young people acrossSussexand into communities that are not always easy for the police to engage with.
Their final report, which was published last month, outlines the key findings of the Commission’s consultation around five priority issues. These are: reducing offending and re-offending; drug and alcohol abuse; domestic abuse and sexual assault; bullying and cyber bullying and the relationship between the police and young people.
The Youth Commission presented its findings to me, the Chief Constable and partners at their Big Conversation Conference in September.
As a result, a Youth Commission Independent Advisory Group (IAG) has now been set up to ensure that these recommendations become reality.
The formation of the IAG represents a real turning point inSussexand nationally for young people, who are now being given an independent partnership role in advising and scrutinising the police.
The group includes five Youth Commission members from the original pilot project and five senior police officers, overseen by Superintendent Laurence Taylor, Sussex Police’s lead for children and young people.
The IAG met for the first time earlier this month and the group created a roadmap for 2015-16, setting out an action plan to deliver the recommendations that emerged from the initial pilot.
Building on the success of this year’s project, I now want to give up to 30 young people from across the county a chance to take the Big Conversation forward next year. This is a fantastic opportunity for members to develop their skills and gain hands-on experience working on a project that will make a real difference in their communities.
I am looking forward to receiving applications from young people with a wide range of life experiences, as I want the Youth Commission to reflect a really diverse range of perspectives.
To find out more about the project and how to apply please visit my website.
Best wishes
Katy Bourne
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner
