Police Now officers mentor young Londoners to help build stronger communities

Police Now officers are stepping beyond their traditional role to mentor young Londoners as part of a new pilot with The King’s Trust designed to help broaden aspirations and help build stronger, safer communities.

The pilot – an expansion of The King’s Trust’s Mosaic mentoring programme – will initially see around 15 Metropolitan Police officers who were recruited or received professional development through Police Now take up mentoring roles with pupils at five London schools. Students at a Hounslow school are the first to take part.

The number of participating officers is expected to increase as additional places become available, with the pilot ultimately aiming to involve around 30 Met officers. 

Over seven consecutive weeks, the initiative aims to build confidence, raise aspirations, develop resilience and strengthen employability skills in young people aged 12 to 17 who have been identified as likely to benefit from the support of positive role models.

Kurtis Christoforides, Chief Executive of Police Now, which offers the only national graduate entry route into policing, said: “We’re proud that our programme participants will help young people build confidence, develop practical skills and feel better equipped for the future. Mentoring young people is an activity that draws on and complements their day-to-day role policing London.

“Police officers have the opportunity to make a difference in their communities in many ways, and being a positive role model is one of them. We hope this pilot will show the difference that police officers can make as mentors and pave the way for more to get involved across the country.”

The pilot launched at Chiswick School this week and will roll out to four more schools over the next seven months, including Addey and Stanhope School in Lewisham and City of London Academy Shoreditch Park and Stormont House School in Hackney.

Matt Jukes, Deputy Commissioner at the Met Police, said: “The relationship between policing and the communities we serve is one of the most important factors in keeping London safe. Trust is built through everyday interactions, by listening, understanding concerns and working alongside communities to create opportunities for young people to succeed.

“Young people in London today are growing up in an increasingly complex world, facing pressures and influences that previous generations could never have imagined. This programme creates valuable opportunities for young people and police officers to build positive relationships through mentorship, support and shared experiences. It will provide positive role models, broaden aspirations and help young people develop the confidence and resilience they need to thrive.

“When young people feel supported, connected to their communities and able to trust those around them, everyone benefits. Programmes like this help strengthen relationships between policing and the communities we serve, build confidence for the future and contribute to a safer London for all.”

Detective Constable Stevi Fisher-Norton, who completed Police Now’s two-year graduate programme in 2020 and now works in the Met’s cold case homicide department, is mentoring students at Chiswick school.

She said she chose to get involved because she is ‘passionate about enabling young people to recognise their worth and fulfil their potential’.

Stevi added: “Not everyone is lucky enough to receive emotional support and practical guidance during those important secondary school years, so I want to be part of an organisation providing that.

“I am most looking forward to meeting the young people, learning more about their challenges and aspirations, and, hopefully, helping them to set goals and chase these with confidence and positivity.”