Police commissioner wants your views on online crime

Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) David Keane in partnership with the county’s Youth Commission has launched a consultation to establish the level of online crime amongst young people in Cheshire.

They are asking 14-25 year-olds in Cheshire to complete a short survey which aims to assess whether they have ever been a victim of online crimes such as hacking, grooming and trolling.

It has been launched during National Hate Crime Awareness Week (10-17 October 2020) and it also asks young people about their experiences of online hate crime and if they reported the crime to the police. 

The Cheshire Youth Commission is a peer led project funded by PCC David Keane. The project aims to give young people a platform to be heard and bring about change in the services that impact young people living in Cheshire.

The Youth Commission usually attends schools, colleges and youth centres to carry out their consultation but due to Covid-19, they will be carrying out more engagement via digital channels.

PCC David Keane said: “More than 50 per cent of the crimes reported to Cheshire Police are now cyber-related so it’s really important we have a good understanding of how online crime is impacting our communities.

“Young people spend the majority of their time online and are increasingly having to use digital solutions to complete work and even socialise with friends due the restrictions imposed due to Covid-19.

“Unfortunately, this also increases their risk of being subject to online trolling or hate crime. I want to understand the level of unreported hate crime in our communities and the impact it is having on young people.

“The Youth Commission do a fantastic job engaging directly with their peers so I look forward to seeing the results of this consultation and working with the Chief Constable and other key partners to ensure young people’s views are considered when we make key decisions.”

You can complete the survey by visiting: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfj0azMtErW-lO1vNYXBRfklUe5-DYDCF1zaZwvWk_KUAxAhg/viewform
All views are anonymous and will be used to highlight the issues young people face and help the Youth Commission to develop recommendations for PCC David Keane and other key decision makers in improving local services.

Pictured - PCC David Keane with Youth Commission members at their annual conference earlier this year (pre Covid-19).