A NEW intake of budding police recruits – all under the age of 12 – have been sworn in as ‘mini cops’ working across Warrington with Cheshire Police.

The scheme sees children from seven primary schools in the town assisting the community, funded by money seized criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

In total, 57 children have now been officially enrolled as mini police officers during ceremonies at the Museum of Policing at Warrington Police Station.

A statement read out spoke of how they are role models in helping the community, working as a team to tackle problems in communities.

New recruits will work with PCSOs throughout the school year, helping to deliver important messages such as anti-bullying, water safety and online safety.

The children will also partner up with PCSOs in a joint effort to tackle issues of their choosing, with last year’s recruits undertaking bike marking, speed awareness, parking and litter picks.

The scheme allows mini cops to have their voices heard, while Cheshire Police officers build upon child centred policing approaches.

Inspector Ruth Atherton, who leads on the project in Warrington, said: “After the brilliant results from the three schools that took part last year, we were really excited to invite an additional four schools to get involved this year and we are overwhelmed with their enthusiasm.

“As soon as our new recruits put those little uniforms on, they became more confident and empowered them to do something that they feel is right and stand up for that, and we are there to support them to do it.

“Mini cops is a really special project that demonstrates our efforts in improving youth and community engagement across the town.

“This scheme allows the children to play an active role in keeping their communities safe and be proud of what they can achieve.

“It is a joy to work on this initiative alongside residents, children, and partners, who have collectively made a positive change and will continue to keep Warrington a safer place for everyone.

“This project has opened up an opportunity for residents to engage with each other and be proud of where they live. It has ultimately made a difference to those who are part of this community.”

John Dwyer, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, added: “It was a pleasure to attend the mini cops attestation and to see the children ready to make a real difference in their local area.

“I believe the key to positive and safe communities is a strong relationship between residents and the local policing team, so I am looking forward to hearing about the important work that our mini cops carry out.

“The children have some really crucial messages to share and they are the future of our communities.

“I am confident that they will make a positive contribution to making Cheshire an even safer place.”