Police Authority Supports Adventure Activities that Are Cutting Anti-Social Behaviour In Wem Area
The Shropshire Policing Board has pledge £1,500 to support a police scheme aimed at engaging with young people from Wem and Shawbury through adventure activity days. The number of anti-social behaviour incidents has been significantly cut since the Local Policing Team introduced the character-building sessions three years ago. Adventure activity days were offered to young people in return for community working, with activities including kayaking, mountain walking, caving, mountain biking, rock climbing and white water rafting.
The scheme has proved so successful that Wem's Local Policing Officer PC Dave Carpenter is hoping to run a similar programme over the next 12 months. Shropshire Policing Board has already pledged a £1,500 grant from the West Mercia Police Authority community initiatives fund.
Constable Carpenter said he was delighted the Police Authority had agreed to back the scheme, which since its inception in 2008, had seen around 150 children taken on activity days helping build a stronger bond with local police officers.
He said: "We would like to show some continuity of approach by rolling this on into 2011-12, increasing our access to the local schools and social services. Our partners - Thomas Adams School, Wem Town Council, Shropshire Council and the Youth Offending services - have all been very encouraging in response to our efforts. Our follow-on activities have included working with a sheltered housing scheme, providing a Christmas shopping-bag packing service, litter picking and leaflet drops which have further helped develop a positive relationship between the police, young people and the local community."
PC Carpenter said the initiative was helpful in helping counter such problems as underage drinking and littering. He said the area's crime rate was relatively low but the local perception was of a bigger problem. "By promoting a positive image of young people we are trying to reduce the fear of crime. However, it is not just about anti-social behaviour as we do things involving children with low self-esteem, victims of crime and to recognise youngsters who are carers or have done good deeds."
Youngsters attending activity days must first agree to take part in police-supervised community projects such as litter picks, graffiti cleaning and gardening.
PC Carpenter said good communication was at the centre of the initiative. "We have listened to the concerns of the general public about anti-social behaviour and also to the comments of youngsters who say they have nothing to do. We have demonstrated a ‘can-do' attitude and taken ownership of these issues".
He added: "As a result, anti-social behaviour reports for the age group we have been working with on this project in the Wem and Shawbury area, have dropped. We wish to continue this trend and develop the community involvement."
