Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Presents Awards to Law Students

17 December 2015

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner, Jane Kennedy, attended The Sixth Form College this week to deliver a presentation to over 50 A Level and BTEC Law students.

Jane began the presentation by awarding the students that recently won the regional Bar Mock Trial competition at Chester Crown Court with their certificates and a £10 gift voucher. The group of 16 students have successfully made it to the final round of the competition which will take place at the Old Bailey in London next year.

Following the presentation of awards, Jane, who is the only elected official in Merseyside, addressed the group and provided an insight into what her role as Police Commissioner involves. She explained how her role includes collecting and overseeing the Police Department’s budget and how this is allocated and prioritised across areas such as antisocial behaviour, neighbourhood policing and other areas of crime and policing.

A key focus of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s role is public consultation and acquiring and gathering the support from the public on issues connected with the police force through petitions and speaking to people in the community and Jane spoke about the importance of this with the students.

Students had the opportunity to pose questions throughout the presentation on topics raised including domestic violence, child exploitation and actions the police force are taking to assist perpetrators with mental health conditions.

The Commissioner directed students to local groups were those interested in pursuing a career in the criminal justice system could gain more practical experience, such as the Police Cadets and the Merseyside Youth Advisory Group which allows young people from various backgrounds to come together and discuss issues related to crime and politics.

Students found the talk to be interesting and useful to their studies, with student Martin Pugh; who also studies Government & Politics, History and English Language at the College, describing the talk as “fascinating and intriguing!”

Fellow student, Carl Kelly, who joined the College from Mosslands High School, added, “I learnt a lot in the session with the Police and Crime Commissioner. All of the questions asked were relevant to what we’re studying – it was really valuable.”

The Police Commissioner was also impressed with the students, stating, “The Law students were extremely engaging and asked some intelligent questions. I would like to wish those that are taking part in the national finals of the Bar Mock Trial at the Old Bailey in London next year the very best of luck – I’m sure they will do a tremendous job.”