Neighbourhood Policing and Schools
Over the last few months I have been trying to get a project off the ground to get the police back to their local communities through their local schools.
This is not a revolutionary idea - or an isolated idea. I fimrly believe that to tackle many of the social problems we suffer we are in need of rebuilding the concept of community and a shared common good. The Tories and particularly Thatcherism destroyed society. I beleive we have to start rebuidling that society and to change many of the aspects of modern politics tha create a sense of common purpose. Policing is just one aspect of life that has changed. I am not arguing we should go back to misty notion of the police in the 1950's but there is a move from the police themseleves to recognise a new balance needs to be struck between effectiveuse of resources and the need to play a reassurance role with the public. The increase in CSOs and the new emphaisis on Beat and neighbourhood policing is starting to make a difference. My project just builds on that and starts to ensure the next generation of young people see and know their local police officer.
Some comments:
The project is not about the police being in schools for discipline. That is down to the school.
Most communities have a school. Plans for extended school days heopefully will mean they become a focus for most communities. I am also working elsewhere to try and get school sports facilities opened up to communities for the times they are now normally closed.
The Police/ CSO would not spend all of their time in the school - but use it as a base to get to know young people locally. They would also be out in the community doing their normal work.
The Project is based on early experience of seeing how some CSOs have been working in and around schools where nuisance behaviour outside of school is causing problems. A good working relationship between CSO and Pupils makes a real difference.
The Mercury said:-
SCHOOL POLICE PLANS ARE WORTH A TRY - Opinion
10:30 - 05 September 2005
The image of a police officer standing guard at the school gates is one that would surely fill many parents, pupils and teachers with dread. However, proposals being worked up by Loughborough MP Andy Reed to allocate police officers to schools are not intended to create such a harsh or frightening environment.
Mr Reed wants to set up a year-long pilot scheme where police officers would be allocated to three local schools, based on projects which have enjoyed some degree of success in other countries.
As well as clearly being on hand to help deal with incidents should they arise, the officers would work closely with staff and pupils on a wide range of projects that it is hoped would help improve discipline, cut back on anti-social behaviour and help create better relationships between youngsters and the police.
While there will undoubtedly be those who would view bobbies on patrol in the playground as overkill, we believe moves as proposed by Mr Reed would reflect changes in today's society where standards of discipline are dropping and respect for law and order is on the wane among certain sections of youth.
Anti-social behaviour is increasingly becoming a blight in many people's lives. While there are many root causes for such an upsurge in anti-social behaviour, an underlying factor is lack of respect for others and for authority.
The first and only time many people come into contact with the police is when they have done something wrong. Therefore, anything that can help foster a better understanding between teenagers and police must surely go some way towards creating a better society.
We should not view these proposals as draconian, frightening or extreme. We should be prepared to give them a try.
