A 2022 survey found that around one in ten young people in London
felt unsafe at school, while one in five felt unsafe in their
local area, with hate crime, carrying weapons and gangs being of
the most concern.[1]
This was the most recent Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
(MOPAC) youth survey, published in April 2023. The London
Assembly Police and Crime Committee recommends an
annual survey should be commissioned, allowing for more
up-to-date data on children and young people in London.
The Committee heard from one young person that
police patrols in their local area created a feeling of fear
rather than a feeling of safety. Another spoke of a perception
that those from an ethnic minority background were more likely to
fear the police, and that it would take a long-term piece of
focused work to address this.[2]
The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee
has today published its report -
Neighbourhood Policing: the experience of young
Londoners – calling for MOPAC to commission and publish an
annual, London-wide survey of children and young people on their
sense of safety in and around schools, and their experiences of
and confidence in policing.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- The Met, with the support of MOPAC, should produce a charter
on how it will conduct its interactions with children and young
people.
- In 2026-27, the Met, working with young people and specialist
youth organisations, should co-design and co-deliver parts of
police training on child first and youth engagement.
- By September 2026, the Met should commission an independent
evaluation of the delivery of its Child First training to monitor
its effectiveness and impact in improving the Met's policing and
interactions with young people.
AM, Chair of
the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee,
said:
“Ensuring our children feel safe, both in their communities
and at school, must be a priority for the
Met.
“Understanding the views of young people on what fears they
have is key to building a strong sense of trust and confidence in
the Met.
“However, their views are not being sought regularly by
MOPAC, meaning children can feel alienated or not listened to.
Having up to date data means the Met and MOPAC have a better
understanding of the fears and concerns young people have.
“The Met's Child First Approach is something we support, but
we have concerns around the support being provided to young
people by the police, and how safe they feel in their
communities.
“Our recommendations within this report could help bring
young people and the police closer together, and help build more
trust and confidence.”
Notes to editors:
- MOPAC, ‘We Are London'
2021-22, April 2023, p. 10
- Roundtable with Voice, Influence and
Participation volunteers, hosted by Safer London, 8 October
2025
