Police placed in Mansfield schools

A new scheme to put police officers in schools has been rolled out across the district this month.
Eleven Schools and Early Intervention Officers have been placed in secondary schools in MansfieldEleven Schools and Early Intervention Officers have been placed in secondary schools in Mansfield
Eleven Schools and Early Intervention Officers have been placed in secondary schools in Mansfield

Eleven Schools and Early Intervention Officers have been placed in secondary schools in Mansfield after a successful pilot scheme by Nottinghamshire Police.Eight new SEIOs are currently in training and will be deployed along with the existing three officers to deliver educational packages and targeted interventions to young people.They will each cover between eight to 12 schools, academies and colleges in 11 different districts or areas across the county. The issues they will cover in school visits include criminal damage, violence, knife crime, cyber safety, drugs, alcohol, antisocial behaviour and child sexual exploitation. They also carry out patrols outside of school time alongside council antisocial behaviour teams, attend community meetings and facilitate community resolutions.

Nick Butler, Nottinghamshire Police’s Mansfield District commander said: “The SEIOs will be based in all secondary schools across Mansfield. “They will be a good point of contact for youngsters and their parents who have any concerns about crime, specifically criminal damage, violence, cyber safety, druga and alchohol, and child sexual exploitation.“They will engage better with the schools, and form lasting relationships with the children.“It’s all about educating the younger generation about the risks of things like drugs and cyber safety.“It’s important for us to build up strong relationships with pupils, and we want the police to be more accessable for pupils and their parents, who can pop in with any questions.“The issues young people face today are more complex than ever before, and you see nine and ten year olds who know more about the internet than their parents do.”

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Chief Constable Craig Guildford has committed £500,000 of Nottinghamshire Police’s budget each year to ensuring each neighbourhood has a dedicated officer. He visited the eight new recruits during a training session at the Sherwood Lodge headquarters.He said: “The return of Schools and Early Intervention Officers is something I am passionate about as Chief Constable because I want to keep investing in young people and how they interact with the police.“The inputs have been well received by professional teachers and pupils alike which is something I am very keen to ensure as this work will complement what teachers do in our schools.Chief Inspector Rich Stapleford, SEIO pilot lead, said: “The quality of input has been truly outstanding and will enable us to deliver a world-class schools-based service to the young people of Nottinghamshire."