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Sir Ian snubs Youth Organisations in Uniform scheme

11:32am Saturday 11th October 2008 in


The police Youth Organisations in Uniform scheme has been launched across London following its success in Croydon despite being snubbed by Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair.

The YOU scheme was given its London launch at the Whitgift Centre at 1pm but Sir Ian wasn't there, despite telling organisers he would be.

The scheme had earlier been criticised after the Croydon Guardian revealed part of the plan was to offer youths who find themselves on the wrong side of the law an opportunity to sign up to a uniformed youth group such as the scouts, boys’ brigade, girl guides or army cadets for three months to escape a caution.

The project is being rolled out by Croydon Police Sergeant Richard Curran who told the Croydon Guardian previously, “If they agree a timetable of action kids can avoid a final warning. But only if they agree to a programme of activities.

“It provides a long-term solution to the problems these kids have and changes their attitudes.”

Sir Ian resigned on October 2 but is remaining in the post until a successor can be found.

What do you think about the new scheme? Tell us using the comment function below.

Comments(20)

ANNE GILES says...
3:55pm Sat 11 Oct 08

Wonderful idea. We would have been in Croydon this afternoon, but had to change our plans.

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scoffer says...
12:28pm Mon 13 Oct 08

Typical of Ian Blair, thank goodness he is gone!!... he was only interested in minority causes and yet he was accused of being a racist!! rofl!!

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Bob Peel says...
1:14pm Mon 13 Oct 08

Excellent idea.

All the better because Ian Blair wasn't there to taint it with his ditherings.

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tickjo says...
3:37pm Mon 13 Oct 08

I am very frustrated to find the Whitgift Centre launch written up under such a negative headline and dominated by references to Sir Ian Blair.
My youth organisation was one of the groups supporting the YOU project on saturday, whilst simultanteously promoting our organisation to the shoppers and parents of Croydon.
Sir Ian Blair resigned 2 weeks ago, so it should hardly be surprising he opted to stay away. Indeed if he had attended, his current media profile would have skewed reporting even further from the heart of the YOU project.
With the right controls in place, the YOU project has potential to bring a positive change to the lives of youngsters who are about to be criminalised - and this has positive effects for the wider community.

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Booty says...
3:53pm Mon 13 Oct 08

I was there on Saturday, and echo the comments above - it is an excellent idea. However I would like to point out that the awful noise (can bagpipe 'music' ever be defined as anything other than noise?) ruined what was otherwise a fantastic event. When will people south of the border wake up to the fact that this music has a place in society - and that place is 400 miles up the motorway.

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ANNE GILES says...
6:43pm Mon 13 Oct 08

I love bagpipes!!

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Booty says...
7:45am Tue 14 Oct 08

Anne, I am sorry to hear that.

Get well soon.

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ANNE GILES says...
12:53pm Tue 14 Oct 08

I will always love bagpipes.

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Booty says...
1:32pm Tue 14 Oct 08

Anne, would I be right in thinking you are also rather fond of listening to the sound of a wild animnal unexpectedly stepping onto an upturned nail (or other sharp object) ?

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ANNE GILES says...
9:28pm Tue 14 Oct 08

No - you are wrong. I love animals. However, there are one or two humans who I feel deserve to step on to a few upturned nails.

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Booty says...
7:46am Wed 15 Oct 08

Hi Anne, I couldn't agree more with you - and given there were so many of them in the same place last Saturday afternoon it's nothing short of a miracle it didn't actually happen. lots of love xx

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ANNE GILES says...
11:30am Wed 15 Oct 08

Thanks.
xx

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Booty says...
2:13pm Wed 15 Oct 08

Any time Anne. I can only assume you didn't turn up on Saturday or your view of the bagpipes would have surely been very different!!!

:)

xx

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tickjo says...
2:58pm Wed 15 Oct 08

I'm probably not alone in taking offense at your derogatory remarks aimed towards the young lads. The youngsters from that band who turned up on saturday to promote their youth organisation did themselves proud, and were certainly very popular, judging by the crowds that gathered around and clapped in time to their music.
For their skills and talents to be criticised on this public forum is quite bizarre and totally misguided.
I'm sure you consider yourself a bit of a 'joker', and clearly take pleasure in baiting people, but there is a time and a place.

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Booty says...
4:11pm Wed 15 Oct 08

Hello there tickjo, it's very nice to hear from you again. However, given that this is a PUBLIC forum, I think that in itself gives me every right to express my views. I am sorry these don't tally with your own views but hey, we are all different.

I am sorry you believe it is "bizarre and totally misguided" of me to not agree with you, perhaps you are not used to mixing with people outside your own circle that may see things differently? But who am I to judge? (I'll leave doing that to you given you seem so proficient at it).

lots of love
xx

ps: for the record, yes I do consider myself to be a "bit of a joker", life is too short to be serious all the time is it not?

pps: "I clearly take pleasure in baiting people" ? oh really? so what do you prefer then, everyone to say that bagpipe music is wonderful? I can do that if it makes you feel better, sure I can.


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ANNE GILES says...
10:26pm Wed 15 Oct 08

Booty wrote:
Any time Anne. I can only assume you didn't turn up on Saturday or your view of the bagpipes would have surely been very different!!! :) xx
When I lived in Argentina, there were, apart from English and Irish, a lot of Scottish people and every event had Scottish pipers dressed in their kilts, so I was used to it. I wanted to go on Saturday, but had my old school reunion that week-end - which only happens every two years or so.
xx :)

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Booty says...
1:42pm Thu 16 Oct 08

Afternoon to you Anne.

"school reunion" - ah, that old excuse!

;)
xx

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ANNE GILES says...
10:29pm Fri 17 Oct 08

Actually, it's true. This was an English school in Buenos Aires, but a lot of them live here. I sat with the girls from my class. All very nice and the food was good, but the conversation seems to mainly centre around children or grandchildren and they all seem to have loads of money. One lives in Brazil, another in Belgium and one in Australia and they just get on a plane and fly here for the lunch. My form teacher from when I was 9 years old is always there and keeps telling me that I was always telling stories. Lovely view of the boats on the Thames near Putney Bridge, though.

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Booty says...
9:58am Wed 22 Oct 08

Sounds nice Anne, and seems you had a better day than I did!!


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ANNE GILES says...
1:30pm Wed 22 Oct 08

Thanks.

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