WILTSHIRE’S Police & Crime Commissioner has called the Youth Commission a “huge credit to society” after their first meeting.

PCC Philip Wilkinson, met with the group, made up of 14 to 24-year-olds last weekend at Chippenham’s Community Hub to talk about issues such as perceptions of the police, drug and alcohol abuse and how domestic abuse can affect family members and children as well as victims.

The PCC said he was impressed with the groups presentations which offered “practical suggestions” of how to improve policing in the county.

“Having met these incredibly impressive young people, I was left with a conundrum,” he said.

“How do you describe a collection of individuals who, while they may be described by many as youths, demonstrate a level of maturity and social responsibility that would surpass that of many adults?

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“They were a huge credit to society, which bodes well for our future.”

The Youth Commission, run by Leaders Unlocked on behalf of the OPCC, will see priorities set and a number of reports written, to ensure that young people’s views and experiences are reflected in the next police and crime plan.

Speaking after the meeting, one member, Imogen said: “It is great to have a PCC who is so interactive and genuinely interested in interacting with the youth of Wiltshire and Swindon.”

“I thought it was a good idea to let the PCC listen to our point of view on the issues and help work together to find solutions,” said another member, Jessica.

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“I thought it was a really good opportunity to discuss our own views alongside the data to get an overall consensus of what needs to be done,” Taniqua said.

“It was nice to be able to open up a bit more due to the open face to face environment.”