BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER

Dr Alan Billings, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner visited Handsworth Grange Community Sports College in Sheffield on Wednesday, 2 March to hear directly from pupils on issues that concerned them around safety and the role of the police.

The Commissioner met a number of groups of students who spoke to him about the places where they felt less safe in the city, about the dangers of drugs in the community, the potential for the internet to make young people vulnerable to criminal behaviour, and other issues.

At one point the Commissioner found himself with a group of Year 10 sociology students who were studying crime as part of their course. He was able to share with them some of the most recent crime statistics and trends.

Dr Alan Billings said: “I welcomed this opportunity to hear direct from young people themselves who spoke freely about matters of concern to them. It was important to me to have their take on how they see the relationship of the police to their age group.

“The groups I met were being well-prepared by their teachers for the possible dangers that may confront them day to day.

“As a former sociologist it was a pleasure to teach my subject again even if only for a short while.”