PCC youth conference
Hate crime, cyber-bullying, online grooming, and the relationship between young people and the police are just some of the topics that will be on the agenda at this year’s youth conference hosted by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.
Taking place on Wednesday August 5th 2015, the event is the second of its kind and aims to gather the crime and policing-related views of young people from across Essex.
The conference will focus on key issues affecting the county’s young people and will see experts from Essex Police, Show Racism the Red Card and the South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre speaking on the main topics as well as hosting workshops.
Those attending will be able to use anonymous voting machines to share their thoughts on how they feel about crime, safety and their relationship with the police. They will also take part in interactive sessions around online safety and how to keep themselves safe while using the web.
The workshops will focus on the rights of young people with regard to interactions with police particularly around stop and search as well as hate crime and the risks and impact of stereotyping.
Young people will be asked to take part in a Big Brother-style “Diary Room” filming session where they will explore on camera their thoughts and feelings on hate crime and the use of hate language. After the event they will also be asked to continue filming further thoughts and key messages about hate crime which they will be encouraged to Tweet using the hashtag #EssexOneVoice. The final film will be shared with schools across Essex as part of their education programme around hate crime.
Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “I am very excited for the second annual PCC Youth Conference. I have always said that as Police and Crime Commissioner it is my job to reach out to all areas of our county’s community, including young people, so everyone has a voice in ensuring that our police service is the best it can be. This conference provides a great opportunity for young people to be heard particularly around challenging subjects such as hate crime and online grooming and their insights will continue to inform all areas of my work.”
The PCC youth conference will be held at Chelmsford City Football Club from 10.30am on August 5th.
Places at the conference are limited. Any young people interested in attending can contact Katy Sparrow at the Office for the PCC via email at [email protected] or 01245 291608.
