Almost 40 teenage truants identified in Boston
If follows an operation including schools and police
An operation to crack down on truancy in Boston yesterday resulted in almost 40 young people being spoken to.
Police, Lincolnshire county council and local schools have been patrolling the area looking for anyone who should have been in school or an education setting.
They say the relevant processes will now be put in place for those they saw.
A number of home visits were arranged for persistent absentees.
The four local schools that joined the patrols on this occasion were: Thomas Middlecot Academy, Giles Academy, Haven High Academy and Boston High School.
We want people to feel safe living in, working in and visiting Boston
Sergeant David Robinson, who oversaw today’s operation, said: “Truancy from school impacts on young people’s education and future."
"Whilst being absent without authorisation young people can be influenced in a negative way by peer groups."
"There is often no appropriate adult oversight and their whereabouts are unknown."
"Young people are at risk of being groomed into broader criminal activity as well as being persuaded to behave in an antisocial manner. "
"This in turn can have an impact on members of our community through making some of the more vulnerable people feel uncomfortable or even unsafe, rendering them reluctant to freely go about their daily business."
The ultimate aim here is to keep young people safe
"We want people to feel safe living in, working in and visiting Boston."
“Work already completed suggests that having this close collaboration between multiple agencies can assist in putting in place interventions to avoid their behaviour escalating.”
PCSO Marie Williams, from Boston’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said,
“The ultimate aim here is to keep young people safe."
"Areas patrolled were targeted based on qualitative and quantitative information and/or intelligence showing areas of increased antisocial behaviour, criminality and areas believed to have a high level of gatherings by those truant from school."
"Home visits occur when proportionate, especially where casework has been ongoing and identifies a persistent absence, attendance is a cause for concern and /or there is a perceived risk to the child.”
Further operations are now planned.