May the Force be With You!
Tamesin Quinn
/ Categories: News
Salford City Academy students take part in Police Engagement Day
Salford City Academy students were given a glimpse into the world of law enforcement when they hosted a special Prison and Police Engagement Day last week.
Led by Paul McGovern MBE from the HM Prison Service and PC Andy Shaw from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the day featured a range of activities and workshops and a guest appearance from drug dog Charlotte, helping illustrate the more serious underlying messages about gangs, drug and knife crime and the impact on young people and their families.
Explained Paul:
“The aim of the day was to help students understand the consequences of certain actions, helping them to make more informed choices in their day-to-day lives. In short, we are educating today’s youth for a better tomorrow and if we can stop one person committing a crime, then it’s been worth it.”
Paul’s MBE was awarded to him for his work with gangs and youth engagement and during the visit, he shared poignant young peoples’ stories to deter students from becoming involved in gang and youth crime.
Salford City Academy student Dominic from Year 9, said:
“It was inspiring to learn about all the work that the police do. They taught us how to stay safe and I’ll be going home and telling my brothers how to watch out for themselves.”
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Ewart from GMP also joined the session to award Salford City Academy with a commemorative plaque, rewarding the academy for its dedication to community engagement.
Said DCI Ewart:
“The day is all about encouraging closer engagement with schools and the prison and police service and raising awareness of social issues and the consequences of the wrong behaviours. What is particularly important is that we are familiarising schools and students with the community team.”