Published: 27 March 2006
Safer Schools
Local schools and police forces across the country will be encouraged to work together to improve pupil behaviour, tackle youth crime and build strong community relations through the Safer Schools Partnership scheme.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes and Police Minister Hazel Blears have launched new guidelines which they hope will help schools and police form Safer Schools Partnerships, which could include:
· basing police officers in schools to help tackle pupil behaviour and attendance problems, for example reducing bullying through restorative justice schemes
· introducing designated officers to liaise with schools as part of neighbourhood policing teams, for example advising Heads on school security and crime reduction
· working with schools, bus and train operators to tackle pupil behaviour when travelling to and from schools, and ensure that pupils are positive ambassadors when on public transport
Originally launched in areas targeted by the Street Crime Initiative in 2002, there are now over 400 Safer School Partnerships across the country.
Under the scheme, a dedicated police officer is allocated to one school or to a group of schools, often based on-site to work with pupils, school staff and the wider community to identify and work with young people who are at risk of poor behaviour, truancy, victimisation, offending or social exclusion.
Having a dedicated officer develop a close relationship with a school has the dual benefit of helping to tackle pupil behaviour or attendance issues as well as building trust and positive relations between the police and young people.
It encourages greater confidence in the police by making them more visible and accessible and provides young people with a valuable role model.
Research has shown that existing partnerships deliver real benefits to schools, police forces and young people, for example:
· improved behaviour and attendance: Westminster schools reported a 20% drop in permanent exclusions; a 29% drop in fixed-term exclusions; officers joining truancy sweeps to improve school attendance; and police-run restorative justice schemes tackling bullying;
· less local crime and vandalism: Westminster reported a 29% drop in youth crime around Safer School Partnership schools; Rochdale reported a 12% drop in crime and significant reductions in anti-social behaviour;
· improved relations between the police and pupils: schools in Hackney now see pupils regularly approaching police to discuss problems, and an increase in pupils wanting to join the police cadets; officers participate in summer holiday schemes for vulnerable children;
· improved security within the school and fewer intruders: schools in Tower Hamlets, Wolverhampton, and Lewisham reported a decrease in the number of intruders, with officers giving advice on making school premises more secure.
Charles Clark, Deputy Chief Constable of Essex Police and Chair ACPO Youth Issues Group, said:
"The Safer School Partnership approach has consistently demonstrated benefits for policing in the local community.
Positive contact between children and young people with an identifiable police officer is maximised for the benefit of whole communities particularly through the SSP focus on those young people most at risk of social exclusion through victimisation, anti-social behaviour and offending.
It is neighbourhood policing in its purest context and supports a whole range of essential policing objectives including the prevention and detection of crime, reducing the fear of crime and a range of other needs.
SSP is now firmly established and should be embraced as an integral part of the Neighbourhood Policing structure."
Professor Rod Morgan, Chair of the Youth Justice Board said:
"These are vital opportunities to identify young people likely to become victims or offenders. Early preventative action allows the needs of the young persons to be addressed.
Such interventions can only be successful where there is community partnership between the police and schools, health, social services, Children's Trusts, local housing, local authorities and the voluntary sector. Safer School Partnerships aren't just about having police officers within schools: they are vital mechanisms for influencing and protecting the lives of young people."
Roger Howard, Chief Executive of Crime Concern said:
"Again and again we hear from head teachers that having a close relationship with a local police officer in their school was the best thing they have ever done.
That's because the Safer School Partnerships approach fosters joint problem solving and creates a safer environment for children to learn in.
We're 100% behind this innovative approach to crime prevention and believe many more schools could and should benefit from it."
Further information
Safer Schools Partnership scheme
Every Child Matters – Safer School Partnerships
Safer School Partnership - Mainstreaming Guidance
Street Crime Initiative report (scroll down)
Youth Justice Board
Crime Concern
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