Young people from Teesside and Hartlepool had the opportunity to raise their views on crime and safety directly with national Government during a meeting last month.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey hosted four youth engagement events earlier this year, at higher education venues across the Cleveland Police area.
Over 100 young people from Hartlepool Sixth Form College, Bede College, Middlesbrough College, Redcar and Cleveland College and the King’s Trust took part.
They were encouraged to consider solutions to some of the most complex problems facing our communities: knife crime, violence against women and girls (VAWG), online safety and county lines.
Their suggested solutions were captured in the Shape Your Safety Young Voices report, which was published on International Youth Day in August this year.
At the end of October, some of these young people and their teachers made a trip to London, for an exclusive meeting with the Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP.
During the meeting, the Minister was joined by senior civil servants, who noted down the suggested solutions, to help inform future Government policy.
During their visit to the capital, the group also received a tour of the Palace of Westminster from Andy McDonald, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East.
Commissioner Matt Storey said: “I facilitated all four of the events we held earlier this year and I was astounded by the innovative ideas the young people came up with.
“As I told them at the time – and reiterated to the Minister – their ideas are as good as those developed by professional adults working at the heart of policing and crime policy.
“As our leaders of the future, I’m passionate about giving young people their say in how we fix the issues that harm our communities the most.
“I’m grateful to everyone who took part in the Shape Your Safety events for helping us to think differently about some of most long-term problems. I feel assured our future is in safe hands.”
The Shape Your Safety report compiled a range of potential solutions, including the creation of a knife crime offenders register, anti-misogyny education for boys, improved youth clubs and greater regulation of online spaces or social media platforms.
A further bout of youth engagement activity will take place in early 2026, with groups of young people often not heard or present in mainstream services or education.