Cheshire Police aim to building bridges with young people

“I don’t like talking to police officers because they are unapproachable,” “officers don’t talk in a way we understand”, is the feeling felt by young people across the county, when it comes to their interactions with officers.

To combat this problem Cheshire Constabulary is working with the University of Chester to overcome these barriers, developing new ways to communicate with vulnerable people who may fall on both sides of the law.

The specially designed package, which is the first of its kind nationally, is established on research into the development of the adolescent brain. It outlines why young people act and communicate in the way they do, and provides officers with the appropriate knowledge to engage with young people in the correct way.

This training package came as a result of consultation run by Cheshire’s Youth Ambassador, Dominic Rogers. He said: “The need for this educational training came to light following my consultation with young people regarding police officer interaction. After holding talks with the Constabulary, I’m delighted that they have teamed up with the University of Chester to develop this training for officers.”

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Roberts, Cheshire Constabulary said: “We had concerns about our officers’ communications skills with young people. After looking into training opportunities across the whole of the UK, we found the answer was right on our door step with the University of Chester.

“It is fascinating work that will give us the opportunity to have more meaningful interaction with young people and potentially divert them from involvement in crime, both as an offender and a victim.”

The programme has been led by Gabrielle Rabie, a Senior Lecturer in Community Health and Wellbeing, who has been researching the subject for more than 10 years. She explained: “The University reviewed national and international research on the development of the adolescent brain.

“We found that currently, there is a vacuum in the knowledge of frontline professionals who come into contact with adolescents and this is a gap we are trying to help the Constabulary bridge.

“The training programme will equip officers with a better understanding of the way offenders think, the vulnerabilities and experiences of victims, helping them to develop a more tailored response to vulnerable children and young people.”

The training will be passed down from officers to their peers to ensure that their knowledge is passed on to others around the county.