Police child lead backs youth involvement for commissioners

Jacqui Cheer, the Association of Chief Police Officer’s lead for children and young people, told CYP Now that media coverage of the appointment of 17-year-old Brown as Kent's youth crime commissioner could make young people less willing to get involved with similar roles.

Brown was set to be the first youth police and crime commissioner in England and Wales but stood down before taking up the £15,000 a year role following media criticism of comments she made on social networking sites.

Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner has since been criticised for advertising for a similar role offering a salary of up to £26,000.

Cheer said it is vital that elected PCCs have some form of dialogue with young people, otherwise their needs could be neglected.

“The case of Paris Brown is quite sad and I wonder whether it is going to put other young people and their parents on notice to be a bit wary about whether to join in with these sorts of activities,” she said.

“I think what everybody forgot was that in the middle of it was a young person who had put themselves forward against strong competition and won the job.

“She is just starting out in her professional career and this is her first experience.

“Now every time she goes for a job all the coverage will be easily searchable on the internet by employers. How does it allow her to learn and move on?

“PCCs should be engaging with young people in developing their [police and crime] plans.

“I can’t see how PCCs can produce a strategic plan and completely ignore a large section of society, who are not only stakeholders now, but stakeholders of the future as well."

In November, CYP Now reported that two thirds of newly elected police and crime commissioners pledged to take young people’s views into account when drawing up local plans.