“A rewarding experience” – leading youth engagement

FORCEWIDE

At the heart of the work we do is our communities and within our Community Safety Unit we have our Community Engagement Coordinators who offer support to the wider team, whilst developing the engagement between the community and the force.

Sitting in the role as the lead for cadets is Katie Hardy, and one of her main initiatives is our Volunteer Police Cadets scheme, which has been running in Humberside since January 2017.

As part of the scheme, young people across Humberside commit two hours of their week to learn a handful of skills and find out more about policing. They also volunteer a minimum of an extra three hours a month, to work within the wider community.

During the summer holidays this will include working hard on Operation Coastline by supporting the rural task force and our local community teams at events such as Withernsea Blue Light Day, where they will be promoting crime prevention initiatives linked to coastal areas.

Katie told us about the impact the scheme has on the young people who are involved, and the successes she has seen in her time as the lead.

She said: “Since the scheme started running in our area, I’ve seen so many young people make the transition from their teenage years to early adulthood. The development which they have shown has been absolutely wonderful.

“Looking back on our first intake, we have seen two brilliant cadets become a part of our force in different roles. One stayed involved in the scheme until she turned 19, she was a scout leader alongside her involvement in cadets and it was clear that it was an environment she always wanted to be involved in. When she left cadets, she wasn’t quite sure what route she wanted to take with her career.

“The recruitment for PCSOs opened and she grabbed the opportunity with both hands. She’s now been there for a couple of years and is heavily involved with the youth engagement side of things. Everything she learnt throughout her time in cadets, she is putting into practice.

“Another woman from the first intake has been an officer for around three and a half years – she was thrown in the deep end as soon as she started when she attended an address on her first day and found a suspected cannabis grow! That was quite an experience for her first day, but she took it in her stride.”

Speaking to Katie about her time as the cadet lead, she has remembered the young people she has met throughout her time in the role and that their experiences have left a mark on her. You can feel the immense pride and fulfilment she has working in this role.

The scheme plays a crucial part in helping young people understand more about policing and figure out whether it is the career path they want to pursue. With the opportunity to go out and about with officers across the force, and experience a whole host of departments, it helps to shape the impression teenagers have about policing.

Katie explained: “Some of the teenagers come into the scheme wanting to gain something from it, almost a sense of direction. It helps them to see the reality of policing, and it can help to change their perception. A lot of them come into it thinking that it is very much blue lights, pub fights, and putting front doors in – but that’s only a small side of policing. There is so much more to it, which the cadets soon start to see with the interactions they have.”

Cadets are given the opportunity to speak to a range of people within the force, including police staff, to find the guidance which they desire to learn more about themselves as well as the role. They interact with those in the position, hearing firsthand what it means to be a part of the force.

Katie continued: “They see the value of being in the force, and it means they know before they join exactly what it’s like. They can see if they are suited to the role, and for some it does transpire that this isn’t where they want to be.”

Leading an initiative like this can no doubt be impactful, and Katie thrives off the development she sees in the young people from the start of their cadet journey to beyond. A role she describes as busy and challenging, but so incredibly fun too.

She finished by saying: “Seeing these young people progress, you could not be prouder of their development. I often think how small they were when I first met them to that moment they leave! It’s such a rewarding experience, for not only myself but also the leaders.

“Together, we put so much into these young people and to see it resonate with them is just fantastic. It is wonderful to see them wanting to follow in the footsteps of the leaders, too. Knowing you had a small part in some of their development and success is worthwhile. Especially when they make surprise visits to the office with biscuits! Then you know you have done something right.”