A sixth form student has won a prize after swapping places with North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick.
Osian Morgan, 16, from Penrhyn Bay, wrote an “inspirational” speech about the need to increase young people’s confidence in the police.
The Ysgol y Creuddyn pupil won the Years 10-13 category in the schools competition organised by Mr Roddick.
It called on those taking part to imagine what they would do to improve their community and make it safer if they were the Police and Crime Commissioner.
As a result Osian, who wants to go into politics, bagged an iPad and £250 in vouchers for his school.
Osian, who has recently completed his AS Level exams inGeography, History, Welsh, French, and plays hockey for Colwyn Bay, believes passionately in the need to create confidence in the police, especially among young people.
He said: “The police are here to help us and if we don’t realise that a lot of people won’t report crimes to the police because they don’t have any faith in them. That is one thing that needs to change.
“We need to create more confidence in the police and to create a better relationship between the police and the community. The police are there to help and protect the public.
“If you don’t report crimes then the police won’t look into them, and it creates a vicious circle.
“I think we should have open days for the public so they can see what the police do so that they realise the police are actually on their side.”
Winning the competition came as a big shock to Osian.
He said: “I wasn’t expecting to win to be honest. “I’m very pleased to win the iPad, and I also won £250 for my school so I think they’re over the moon as well. The teachers are pleased about that.
“I’m going to do a bit of school work on the iPad, but I’m also going to listen to music on it and watch videos and things like that.”
Mr Roddick agrees with Osian that increasing the confidence of young people in the police is vital and thought his speech was “inspirational”.
He said: “The confidence of you people in the police is probably the most important kind of confidence you need to generate because it’s the confidence of the people of the future.
“It’s a wise policy in my view to focus attention on young people and to become involved with young people in discussions about policing in the interest in the broader community.
The Commissioner was delighted with the high standard of the entries in the speech competition which will now become an annual event.
He added: “The speeches were full of interesting ideas and the enthusiasm was refreshing and showed a great deal of imagination.
“I was impressed by all of the essays. I have a real interest in young people, and I like to see their work.
“By setting the kind of essay that I did I was drawing them out of their usual school curriculum and into the adult world of policing.
“I wanted to take their perspective on how they think their communities should be policed and what would they do if they were in my shoes and were the Commissioner for North Wales.”
