New police scheme in Hampshire will show schoolchildren how to keep themselves safe as crimes evolve

A new police-backed education programme aims to keep young people safe - and will be rolled out in schools across Hampshire.

The programme, called Pol-Ed, has been fully funded by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones and will be available to all early years settings, schools and post-16 education providers across the two counties.

Pol-Ed was developed by teachers with support from police professionals and aims to help children understand risk, the consequences of their actions, the law, and healthy relationships.

The online resource offers pre-planned lessons covering topics linked to crime and policing, using current research and Home Office data. Schools can choose which subjects to focus on as part of their relationships, sex and health education curriculum.

Donna Jones said: These pre-planned lessons and resources are already proving highly effective in enabling police and educational institutions to deliver timely, relevant, and engaging learning experiences to a broad range of students.

“By improving their awareness of becoming a victim or suspect of crime, we have a better chance of them staying in school and making the right choices in life. Pol-Ed also enables young people to properly engage with the police and understand officers’ roles in keeping our communities safe.”

Assistant Chief Constable, Tara McGovern, added: “Pol-Ed is a significant step forward in prevention and its introduction here is very welcome. It gives police and schools consistent, high-quality resources, enabling sustained education rather than one-off sessions.

“Together we will deliver earlier prevention, reduce harm, and create safer outcomes for our young people and communities for the future.”

Pol-Ed is not just for schools either, with the £40,000 funding also being made available to Youth Justice Services and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s voluntary sector.

Educational providers have until March 2027 to access the service.