Relations Between Young People and the Police

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 13 June 2018.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 3:05, 13 June 2018

(Translated)

I wonder whether you could give us some statistics as to what is happening in terms of stop and search of young people here in Wales. The research I’ve seen shows that young people tend to want to break the law or participate in criminal activity because they have been treated poorly by the police because of stop and search. There are also various sectors of society that are more likely to be stopped—Asian or black men, for example—and that makes them feel that they are not part of society, because of the negative attitude that they develop towards the police. So, how can you engender a society where the police and young people feel that they are on the same level, and that you nurture a positive relationship between them, rather than this feeling that the police are constantly against them in many aspects?