Commissioner grilled on role by youngsters
TO MARK International Youth Day the county’s police commissioner was quizzed on his role by young people.
Police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, was questioned by members of his Youth Commission to mark International Youth Day.
Running since 2016, the Youth Commission currently has 28 members aged 14-25 from across the county.
Over the past five years, they have gathered views from over 10,600 young people from Cheshire’s diverse communities.
On International Youth Day, the commission became the commissioner and were able to quiz Mr Dwyer about his role, his experience and how he’s going to help the communities of Cheshire.
One member of the Youth Commission said: “We’ve been working hard on our key priorities this year, gathering views and opinions of young people in the area, but having some time out to quiz him has been a great experience.
“It’s helped us to understand more about his role and given us an insight into him as a person.”
As part of the Youth Commission’s work, members have set up a Youth Advisory Group to provide advice and input to the constabulary on key themes affecting young people, such as stop and search, people missing from home and online safety.
John Dwyer said: “Young people are the future of our communities. Yet often their voices aren’t being heard.
“I’m aware that young people have their own policing needs, and although they’re not old enough to vote, being able to have a channel into their local constabulary helps me to address the priorities that are important to them with the Chief Constable.
“Empowering young people to make a difference in their communities is key. It was great for me to sit in the hot seat, I can see some future detectives in the making.
“I’d encourage more people to get involved with the Youth Commission and help shape Cheshire’s future needs.”