Creative ideas on how to stay safe

Bedfordshire Police is looking for youngsters aged 11-18 to enter a performing arts competition designed to highlight the dangers and consequences of these crimes.

The ‘Stay Safe’ competition requires entrants to create a three-minute performance video in which they sing, dance or act.

Finalists will see their videos posted on Bedfordshire Police’s website where the public will be invited to vote for their favourite in each of the three categories. Winners will receive a cash prize.

The competition is part of a campaign to fight crime and protect the public while making offenders feel less assured. Street robberies are often committed by young people on young people and some may not even realise their actions constitute an offence. It is this misguided view youngsters are being encouraged to explore and highlight in their video.

The competition is being supported by the charity Crimestoppers, which has recently launched the website www.fearless.org to allow young people to give information about crime anonymously as a safe alternative to the police.

Richard Denton, children and young people development officer & schools co-ordinator for Beds Police, said: “Reducing robbery is a priority for the force but many people don’t realise what constitutes an offence.

“Robbery is when you use or threaten to use force to steal. It’s more serious than theft and you can be guilty of robbery even if you are just part of a group that robbed someone and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

“Bedfordshire Police hopes that portraying this message through song, dance or drama will bring home the reality of crime and make young people think twice about their actions. We are delighted to be linking up with the Crimestoppers youth brand ‘Fearless’ website as giving information about robbery and solving robbery is as important as preventing it.”

For more details visit www.bedfordshire.police.uk and click on the ‘Stay safe’ section.