On The School Walk, Chaperones Assist In Keeping Students Safe.

 

In high-crime inner city regions, adult chaperones assist children on their route to and from school.

With backing from the Home Office and the Police and Crime Commissioner, the £1.2 million programme is being launched in the West Midlands.

The schools that were chosen were based on police intelligence regarding criminal activities in their communities.

It's based on a successful system that helped Chicago, Illinois, reduce crime.

The Ark Boulton Academy, a secondary school in Birmingham's inner-city Sparkhill neighbourhood, is one of the schools participating in the Step Together initiative.

A small group of adults gathers at the school gates at the start and end of the day to act as chaperones for the youngsters as they walk between home and school. Others are stationed in parks in the area.

Because of anti-social behavior and gang criminality in the area, the school was picked, along with more than a dozen others in the West Midlands police force area.

The school's head teacher, Danny Richards, expects that the program would give students more confidence in their safety.

He stated, " "The chaperones are stationed in conspicuous locations, if you will, so that the children can clearly identify them. They're located along major routes to and from work, as well as in renowned hotspots."

The goal is to provide a secure haven for youngsters while also acting as a deterrent to those intent on wrongdoing.

In recent years, the West Midlands has been plagued by attacks on teens in the hours after school.

Keon Lincoln, 15, was murdered outside his home in Handsworth a year ago, while Yahya Sharif, 18, was stabbed to death in Small Heath in December.

The presence of the chaperones, according to Muhammad Al-Muzamil, head boy of Ark Boulton Academy, has made kids feel safer.

"Thankfully, none of us have ever been involved in such street violence," he remarked.

"However, we are aware that the world's hazards exist, and you wish to be safeguarded in such instances."

According to Areeba Ahsan, the head girl, it is easier for teenagers to speak to an adult they know if they have an issue.

"Every student should have the opportunity to return home safely. Going to a stranger for assistance is more frightening."

The chaperones are drawn from organizations that already have a presence in the communities they serve, as well as a working connection with the schools.

They are from the Make A Difference youth development program in Sparkhill. They work a day's worth of work in between an hour of pre-school and many hours of post-school.