Examining children’s perspectives of the mini-police in England and Wales

Abstract The mini-police is an innovative police engagement programme that is aimed at children aged 8–11 years in England and Wales. This article examines the perspectives of children who have participated in the mini-police programme filling a significant gap within the literature. Children voices were captured through a national online survey completed by 248 children who had been in the mini-police and 102 children who had not and 8 child-friendly creative workshops were held in 4 forces involving 56 children. The article suggests that participation in this programme can increase children’s understanding of what the police do, their trust in the police, and their desire to help others. Additionally, findings suggested that other positive impacts of participation include an increased self-identity, confidence, and sense of safety. This article argues that engaging younger children in programmes such as these can help to promote and support positive life course trajectories.