The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), and VERU (Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit) will be hosting a joint Youth Conference for Year 9 students across Bedfordshire.
This will be a first for the OPCC with the aim of the event being to reach youths who would like to be part of the solution in reducing crime in Bedfordshire and to help support those at the risk of offending.
Festus Akinbusoye, Police and Crime Commissioner said: “We want to give youngsters the opportunity to hear from organisations in the community as well as Bedfordshire Police to help educate and guide them on their life journey.
“As part of my Police and Crime Plan, I am wholly committed to working with communities and schools to help young people to understand the impact their actions and choices can have on the rest of their life. I look forward to welcoming pupils and teachers at the event. I have no doubt it’ll be one to remember”.
Local partners, organisations and colleagues from Bedfordshire Police have been invited to deliver inspirational and educational talks to the schools, to encourage them to consider healthy choices away from crime.
They will hear from guest speakers with real-life lived experience about the below topics:
- How to report crime
- County Lines – Spot the Signs
- Domestic Abuse and how it can affect the whole family
- How to avoid getting involved in crime
Students will also have the opportunity to speak with professionals in confidence in dedicated rooms on site should they wish to speak in private.
Schools are being invited to register for the event with a maximum of 20 student tickets plus 2-3 teacher tickets.
Event information
Date: Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th May 2022
Time: 9:30am – 3:00pm
Venue: The Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Beds, MK45 1AH
The event will be split into three locations to ensure as many schools get the chance to attend as possible:
- Central Beds – Wednesday 18th May 2022
- Bedford – Thursday 19th May 2022
- Luton – Friday 20th May 2022
If your school is interested in attending, reserve tickets here: https://www.bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk/opccs-youth-conference-2022/
If you’d like any more information about the event, please contact pccevents@beds.police.uk