Knife Crime And Drug Dealing Is Top Policing Priority For Youths

A comprehensive new survey involving young people across England and Wales has provided a striking insight into youth priorities for law enforcement, emphasizing a critical need for change. More than 2,600 individuals, representing each of the 43 police force areas, participated in the annual poll conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) Youth Panel.

Pic: Police Professional

This remarkable response rate marked an increase of more than 33 percent compared to the figures recorded last year, highlighting the growing engagement among 16 to 25-year-olds on policing matters. Published this week, the detailed results immediately expose the most urgent concerns facing young citizens in their communities.

Alarmingly, almost half of all young respondents named either knife crime (26 percent) or drug dealing (20 percent) as their single top policing priority. The combined total of these two critical issues reaches 46 percent, underscoring the immediate threat of violence and illegal activity felt by youth across the country. Other important areas identified for police focus included sexual violence, which was prioritized by 13 percent of respondents, alongside general violence (eight percent), and specific issues related to the treatment of young people themselves (nine percent).

The overwhelming response to the survey reinforces the Youth Panel’s assertion that substantive work about young people simply cannot happen without direct input from them. This valuable data now provides an evidence-based foundation for reform.

Responding directly to these pressing concerns, the IOPC’s Youth Panel concurrently published its comprehensive document, the Youth Police Reform Manifesto, titled 2030 Manifesto for Change. This key document meticulously sets out several recommendations specifically designed to drive meaningful change within both policing and the police complaints system.

Ultimately, these youth-led proposals aim to make profound improvements for vulnerable young people engaging with law enforcement. One significant proposal calls for the creation of a brand new mechanism allowing community groups to formally register a complaint on behalf of multiple individuals who share similar negative experiences.

Furthermore, the manifesto suggests crucial reforms to the current complaints process itself, advocating strongly for an accessible online dashboard system. This digital tool would make navigating the complicated system much easier for people aged 16 to 25. Panel members also recommend concerted efforts to work closely with both police forces and schools to ensure that young people better understand the police complaints system and feel empowered to use it effectively.

Panel member Harriet Smith powerfully stated that the IOPC urgently needs young people’s voices to improve policing and the current complaints framework. “This is a chance to share your thoughts and experiences to make a visible change happen nationally,” she insisted, emphasizing that reform cannot occur without hearing from those people it directly impacts. The Panel’s crucial work is facilitated by the social enterprise Leaders Unlocked, which actively works to empower young people and ensure their voices are genuinely heard on issues impacting their lives. To understand the current guidelines regarding police engagement with youth, consult the College of Policing official standards document.

The IOPC Youth Panel is an independent, youth-led body comprising 42 individuals aged 16 to 25 from diverse communities across England and Wales. They meet regularly with the IOPC to ensure youth perspectives inform official understanding of policing matters.

Worryingly, the latest survey results clearly indicate declining confidence levels in law enforcement among this demographic. Specifically, 59 percent of young people reported having either a “fair amount” or a “great deal” of confidence in their local police force, representing a distinct drop from the 66 percent recorded in the previous year’s survey. This noticeable erosion of trust poses a significant challenge for community policing efforts across the nation.

Despite this decline in general confidence, the proportion of young people who stated they would still approach the police if they became a victim of crime has remained broadly stable at 70 percent. This consistency suggests a reliance on the police for serious issues, even where trust in the institution is waning.

However, only just over half of young respondents explicitly said they believe police in their local area treat young people fairly. IOPC Director of Engagement Amanda Rowe welcomed the manifesto and survey, calling the results an “eye-opening insight” into how young people currently view law enforcement. She acknowledged the immense scale of the task ahead for the organization. “We stand ready to help the Youth Panel in this vital work,” she confirmed, “starting with acknowledging the profound concerns raised in the survey,” confirming the importance of the Youth Police Reform Manifesto.

One key measure proposed by the Panel to directly address unfair treatment involves the compulsory use of body-worn video by all police officers. Moreover, the Panel demands mandated training for all officers on trauma-informed approaches, including key elements of neurodiversity and mental health awareness. This significant effort seeks to increase young people’s trust and confidence in both policing and the essential police complaints system.