A new initiative by North Wales Police will be harnessing the help of young people in Gwynedd to draw up a new plan for policing in the area.

Arfon Jones, North Wales police and crime commissioner, is searching for a team of 30 people aged between 14 and 25 to serve as Wales’ first Youth Commission.

The commission will be overseen by his deputy, Ann Griffith, and members will be consulted about policing priorities for the north Wales area, particularly issues that impact younger generations.

Members will receive training from Leaders Unlocked, a specialist social enterprise organisation that works with young people across the UK. The organisation has successfully launched eight similar schemes in England since 2013.

Kaytea Budd-Brophy, senior manager of Leaders Unlocked, hopes the initiative will give young people in the area a space to voice the issues that are important to them.

She said: “The Youth Commission will work in partnership with the police and crime commissioner and North Wales Police to identify and tackle urgent issues affecting young people in north Wales.

“They might be relationships with the police, hate crime, the problem of county lines and the drugs trade, mental health and staying safe online or reducing youth offending.

“The young people themselves will decide which issues to raise and which solutions to suggest.”

Recruitment for the scheme is now open until 29 July. The police hope to appoint youth commissioners from across the region by the end of July to begin their training in August.

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