Web posting for West Midlands
Monday, 01 September, 2008
West Midlands Police have joined the popular video posting website 'You Tube' in a bid to communicate more effectively with young people.
The force decided to join the site after recognising that young people spend a lot of time on video sharing and social networking sites compared to time spent reading or watching traditional media.
There are currently nine videos on the site, which are a combination of crime prevention advice, campaign videos and a 'behind the scenes' look at police air operations. Footage from the force helicopter gives viewers the chance not only to view inside the helicopter and how it works but also to watch operations in action.
Films include the helicopter being used to help stop a dangerous motorbike rider, to help catch an offender trying to escape by motorbike and to stop two stolen cars. The crime prevention videos give information on helping to guard against becoming a victim of car key burglary and the campaign video 'Bestmates' is a video made by students informing other students how to stay safe on a night out. New videos will be launched on the site every two weeks.
The force site can be found at www.youtube.com/westmidlandspolice .
Head of the Press Office, Chief Inspector Mark Payne said, "The police are keen to engage with and inform young people.
Young people are using sites like You Tube on a regular basis and we feel it is now essential for us to have a presence on there to help promote how we are policing our communities and to distribute crime prevention advice." An initiative introduced by Hertfordshire Neighbourhood officers in Oxhey and Watford Football Club will ensure some positive futures in the coming months. The initiative, which has seen a 22 per cent reduction in nuisance behaviour since the 'Positive Futures' scheme started a year ago on the Holywell estate, is now going from strength to strength. The scheme has now been brought to the Riverside area of the town where neighbourhood officers are hoping it will have a similar impact. Pc Naysha Foley and Police Community Support Officer ( PCSO) Dominik Tokarcyzk hope that the scheme will help bring back some pride into the area. Pc Foley, said, "The main thing for us is to build on this wonderful initiative.
We have already had a brilliant response from some of the youngsters already." PCSO Tokarcyzk said: "This will enable the youngsters in the Riverside area to do something they enjoy, make new friends and hopefully realise that there is more to just hanging around on the streets."
