A two-day conference, organised by the PSNI, focusing on the relationship between young people and the police was launched in Belfast today.

The conference, ‘Always Seen, Rarely Heard’, has been set up to create a forum for the views of young people from across Northern Ireland and address policing issues affecting young people in the context of human rights legislation.

‘Da’ from the TV series Give My Head Peace chaired the conference and, along with 'Billy' from the cast, performed a specially written scene from the show for conference delegates.

An interactive presentation also profiled the thoughts and feelings from young people across Northern Ireland. Serving officers also took the opportunity to listen to young people and to talk about policing in Northern Ireland and the problems they face on a daily basis.

Guest speakers included a young victim of crime, a PSNI student officer and a young person who has had contact with the justice system. Young people attending the conference then took part in discussion groups facilitated by independent experts.

Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid, who has responsibility for human rights issues in the PSNI, said: “Young people are probably the largest group in society that the police service will come into contact with, and this conference is about focusing on that relationship.

"We see this as an opportunity to consult with young people, talk about their issues, and importantly see how we can do better and how we can all work together.

“Throughout the two days those attending the conference will have the chance to discuss a wide range of topics relevant to all the groups present. It provides both young people and the police with an excellent opportunity to speak frankly in a relaxed environment. We are hoping that we learn much from this and that we can take away what we learn and build on it.”

(GMcG)