As someone who has been dedicated to understanding and advocating for effective school-police partnerships for over 15 years, I was encouraged to read the recent article from the Sussex Express regarding Adur and Worthing’s Neighbourhood Youth Officers (NYOs). The police force’s proactive step to “clear up a common misconception” about their NYOs - that they are primarily there for support, safeguarding, and education, not discipline - is an essential clarification. This stance is the bedrock upon which truly effective safer schools initiatives must be built.
The very need to clarify this misconception, however, reminds us of the constant battle to define and justify these roles. This isn’t simply about having a police presence; it’s about having an officer embedded into the fabric of the school community.
The critical difference: Embedded vs. External
The model described in the Sussex article, where NYOs act as a key point of contact and deliver tailored lessons, moves beyond the superficial idea of police simply having a "good relationship" with schools. A good relationship in passing is transactional; an embedded partnership is transformational.
For an officer (be they an NYO or the more widely known Safer Schools Officer) to succeed, they must be viewed as an integral member of the school staff, a trusted adult, and a resource, not a punitive external force. This presence transforms the culture:
1. Improves relationships: A consistent, positive presence dismantles stereotypes, building genuine rapport and trust with young people who might otherwise only encounter police during moments of crisis or enforcement.
2. Facilitates intelligence: When trust is established, students, teachers, and parents are far more likely to share concerns and information that would otherwise remain hidden - concerns about bullying, issues at home, or peer pressures escalating into serious risk.
This embedding is the first, most crucial layer of defense.
Proactive protection: An indispensable safeguarding barrier
The core value of an embedded officer lies in their capacity for proactive safeguarding. The modern school landscape faces threats far more complex than simple playground conflicts. My work consistently highlights the officer's crucial role in combating serious, often hidden, safeguarding issues:
1. Exploitation and County Lines: SSOS are trained to spot the subtle indicators of child criminal exploitation (CCE) and the involvement of young people in 'County Lines' drug operations - signs that may not be obvious to teaching staff focused on academic performance. Their established links to external police teams allow for rapid, targeted intervention, preventing a trajectory toward serious harm.
2. Gang affiliation: Officers can engage with young people displaying early risk factors, offering genuine alternatives and diverting them from gang involvement before an offense occurs.
3. Digital offending and sexting: The article rightly notes the importance of educating on online safety. In my experience, officers delivering focused education on sexual offenses, particularly the serious legal ramifications of sexting and sharing intimate images, provides an authoritative voice that is vital for crime prevention. It shifts the conversation from moral advice to tangible legal consequences, equipping students with the knowledge to protect themselves and respect the law.
When officers are present, these dangers are brought into the light, allowing for early intervention—the very definition of prevention.
The danger of absence: Hidden until too late
This leads to the starkest realisation: Without dedicated safer schools officers, issues are hidden until it’s too late.
When the police opts for a purely reactive model - only calling the police after a crime has been committed or a major crisis has erupted - it signifies a catastrophic failure in early intervention.
A teacher’s job is to educate; an SSO’s job is to apply their law enforcement expertise preemptively within the educational environment. Removing this dedicated resource does not eliminate crime or safeguarding issues; it simply pushes them deeper underground, where they are allowed to fester and grow until they explode into a crisis requiring emergency intervention.
The message from Adur and Worthing Police is a powerful reminder that school-police partnerships are not a luxury or a disciplinary tool; they are a critical public safety investment. They build trust, prevent serious exploitation, and proactively educate the next generation on how to navigate the complex world, all while ensuring the school remains a safe sanctuary for everyone within its walls.
Article: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/education/police-clear-up-common-misconception-as-youth-officers-prepare-for-school-return-across-adur-and-worthing-5299890