Police

The overall aim of the Kent Police Youth Strategy for 2005 – 2008 is to reduce youth crime and the victimisation of young people through a partnership approach.

Principles of the strategy

Kent Police will:

• engage with all young people in a fair and appropriate manner;
• strive to give young people a voice;
• listen and be responsive to their concerns;
• acknowledge that young people are at risk of becoming victims of crime and work with them to reduce their risk of victimisation and reduce their fear of crime;
• recognise that, while some young people do commit offences, only a minority carry on to serious offending;
• work to identify those at risk and seek opportunities to divert them from offending or more serious offending.

The commitment

• To consult purposefully with young people to shape the responses by Kent Police.
• To invest time, effort and appropriately skilled staff to work with partners in promoting the well-being and education of young people as future citizens.
• To work closely with partners to achieve the best outcome for young people as set out in Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004. These are:
  
  
  • be healthy,
  • stay safe,
  • enjoy and achieve,
  • make a positive contribution,
  • achieve economic well-being.
• To support young people who are victims or witnesses of crimes or who are otherwise vulnerable.
• To work with the Youth Offending Service and other criminal justice partners to reduce re-offending.
• To target those whose behaviour has a disproportionately adverse impact on communities.

The full text of the strategy is still being finalised and will be made available on the Kent Police website (www.kent.police.uk).

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