A new project to encourage young people to shape and influence the future of policing and crime prevention in Hertfordshire has been launched.

PCC Jonathan Ash-Edwards has established the Hertfordshire Youth Commission on Policing and Crime to focus on hearing from people aged 14-25.

It will gather and collate youth opinion on community safety issues, and use that perspective to steer Hertfordshire Constabulary's efforts to improve the police service for the age group.

Hertfordshire's Youth Commission will focus on young persons' safety as a central theme. But the project will also listen to suggestions on how to reduce youth offending, improve relationships with the police, and broaden support offered to young victims and witnesses.

Over the course of the project, funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, a core panel of up to 25 young people will be trained by a bespoke provider how to engage with and collate the views of a broader cross-section of young people.

The group will then meet to discuss actionable recommendations for change directly to Mr Ash-Edwards and Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mr Ash-Edwards said:

"Ensuring Hertfordshire is a great place for young people to live and get on in life is incredibly important and a key part of that is ensuring that young people are safe in our county".

"Sadly, young people aged 14-25 are more likely to be a victim of crime than other age groups. Therefore, it's of vital importance we understand what young people think the police should do to keep our streets safe. If we don't make a pro-active effort to learn about that perspective, we risk missing out on it altogether".

"That's what our Youth Commission is all about – reaching out to young people and making it easy and safe for them to let me and the Constabulary know how they feel."

The Commissioner added:

"I'm keen to ensure the group of young people at the heart of the project reflects the diverse community in which we live: ethnically, socio-economically, and of course geographically – the perspective of someone who grew up in a large town in the west of the county may differ to that of someone raised in a rural part of eastern Hertfordshire, for example".

"It's also important to consider the views of people who've been involved with the police positively or negatively in the past alongside those who've never had any interaction with the police at all".

"I'm confident this project will be hugely beneficial to young people across our county, and I'd encourage you to think about whether you know any young people who may have a point of view which would be of value to the Hertfordshire Youth Commission".

Young people interested in becoming part of the Hertfordshire Youth Commission on Police and Crime can apply here https://www.herts-pcc.gov.uk/listening-and-responding/youth-commission.