Mini Police

About the Mini Police Programme

The Derbyshire Mini Police programme started in 2021 with 3 pilot schools, increasing to 13 in 2022 and currently expanding to 20 schools.

The innovative police engagement programme is aimed at children aged 9-11 years old (Year 5/6). The programme is designed to give young children the opportunity to learn about their safety, their role within their community and how the police work to keep them safe.

Just like our Derbyshire officers the newly appointment Mini Police ‘Officers’ wear a uniform which consist of hi-vis vests with the mini police and force crest, a Mini Police cap and pocketbook. They even get an attestation at the beginning of the year and their own awards ceremony once they have completed the programme.

The programme, which starts in the September, runs for the whole academic year, finishing in the July. The weekly sessions are held in school, within class times for approximately an hour. These sessions are delivered by officers from the school’s local Safer Neighbourhood Team; PCSOs, Police Officers and Several Sergeants head the Mini Police team.

During the academic year, the Mini Police are visited by external agencies such as RNLI, the High Sherriff and the Royal Navy as well as our in-house Derbyshire celebrities – Cyber Sam (Samantha Hancock), CSI, and our Ops teams – Drone, Dogs, Armed Response and Traffic Officers take time during the year to visit each of the schools up and down the county. 

Our Mini Police Sessions

The wider aims include building trust and with communities, promoting responsible citizenship, and a sense of social responsibility, improving relationships between the police and young people. We operate a corporate and structured delivery platform which involves early intervention, the delivery of safety messages, preventative education and long-term problem solving. The Mini police officers not only assist the police service, but they also carry that ownership and pride back into the community they live in,

Sessions include inputs on

• Role of the Police
• Crime
• Fatal 4
• Knife crime/Kinsella trust
• Heritage crime
• Different roles in the Police
• Cyber crime
• Pedestrian safety

As well as our popular Random acts of kindness, High Sherriff, and the RNLI.

Additionally, some of our SNTs have used their key contacts and drafted in their local councillors, dog wardens and the Royal Navy.

In force collaborations

• As part of the pedestrian safety input the Mini Police have worked hard to support #opwalksafe in conjunction with Stephen Hughes, Traffic Management Officer – during a community session the Mini Police, using stencils and road spray deliver a ‘look up’ message to encourage people to look up from their device.
• Anti-violence bee – visits
• Supporting the Chiefs Gold Campaign. Thanks to Julie Berry, Youth Engagement Officer, she has given the Mini Police officers an opportunity to enter a postcard competition to highlight and share key road safety messages. The winners will receive a certificate and a prize as well as these postcards to be shared across our social media channels and available to download!
• Anti-social Awareness week – the Mini Police head out into their communities and find out what ASB looks like – from rubbish to graffiti, then guided by the Derbyshire Officer, are shown how they can make an impact, whether this is to send an email, write a letter or report online to the council.

As well as all the other amazing things the programme offers, we are giving the children a voice to make Derbyshire a safer place to live.  

The Mini Police programme is held during the school day and align with the school academic year providing consistent engagement and enabling officers, schools, and partners to work together.

The Mini Police programme links in with the statutory Key Stage 2 requirements of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, enabling schools to focus on the children’s personal development, helping them be more confident, resilient, independent and develop character.

Further information and contacts

If you know a Junior/Primary school interested in being part of the Mini Police programme, register your interest with us via our online form.