A knife crime offenders register – similar to the existing Sex Offenders Register – should be introduced to track criminals and deter re-offending.
That’s according to young people at one of four innovative events hosted by Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey.
Shape your Safety: Young Voices events at four colleges across Cleveland saw groups of young people research and discuss four of the greatest safety issues facing our communities.
After discussing knife crime, violence against women and girls, online safety and drugs and gangs, young people presented potential solutions to elected members and community leaders. Ideas for action included:
- An app to filter out sensitive and misleading content on the internet while keeping track of ‘phone usage and tightening up online ID checks;
- Hidden surveillance and covert police operations in crime hotspots to tackle drugs, gangs and county lines;
- Increased legislation to regulate social media. Rules should raise the age for social media use and block platforms from publishing misleading information;
- Compulsory school courses on healthy teenage relationships, sexual violence and the impact of abusive behaviour. Pupils demonstrating unacceptable behaviour after the course would have to take it again;
- A website aimed at safeguarding women, which provides a 24-hour live chat facility and advice on what to do in unsafe situations.
Contributions from the spring sessions have already been used to inform the Cleveland Knife Crime Action Plan. The plan calls for better education for young people and tougher action against offenders.
Matt said: “I want to go further and use the report to inform policy and commissioning activity at a local, regional, and national level.
“The contents of this report will help my office to deliver against the Cleveland Police and Crime Plan, by ensuring the voices of local young people are captured in the debate.”
Further Shape your Safety: Young Voices sessions take place this autumn. They aim to capture the views of under-represented groups, many of whom have vulnerabilities or personal experience of crime or the criminal justice system
If you are interested in Shape Your Safety: Young Voices events, contact us now on [email protected]
Read the Shape Your Safety Report in full here