Police Scotland and shmuTRAIN create crime prevention Film

Police in the North East have teamed up with SHMU to promote crime reduction messages online.

A series of videos, produced by young people involved in an employability group at Station House Media Unit (SHMU) in Aberdeen, ar now available online to help promote some key crime reduction messages.

The shmuTRAIN Positive Transitions programme targets and engages young people who are not in education, employment or training. It provides a 12-week full-time course offering positive hands-on experiences, which participants build upon to develop both personal and vocational skills, which they use to move on to a sustained positive destination. Over the last eight years Shmu have worked with 254 trainees and moved 217 trainees (85%) onto positive destinations.

Hazlehead and West End Sergeant, Dave Cowie explains: "We have been promoting through press statements and social media the importance of locking your house and vehicle doors for some time now, however we still come across instances of thefts which have occurred because householders have left their doors or windows unlocked.

"Earlier this year an opportunity arose to work with teenagers involved with the shmuTRAIN project run by SHMU in Aberdeen.

"We advised the group that we wanted a few short films to highlight the importance of securing doors and vehicles for use on social media and the team of twelve 16 to 19 year olds created one three minute video and six shorter clips that will be used in the campaign.

"I'm very pleased with the final films. They are completely professional and visually highlight the message that we are wanting to promote. The group were extremely enthusiastic about the project, they listened to exactly what we wanted to achieve and worked really hard to deliver the end product.

"I am hopeful that by using these films, the message of locking your doors will filter through to the public so that we can prevent more of this type of crime.

"I would like to thank everyone involved at SHMU for their help and support with this project. Hopefully we'll potentially be able to do further crime reduction films with them in the future."

Brian Webb, who manages the employability programme at SHMU stated: "It has been a fantastic experience for the young people on the course to work with, devise and produce a social media advert for Police Scotland, and we are all extremely proud of the finished product that the group produced."

Murray Dawson, Chief Executive of SHMU added: "This project provided a fantastic opportunity for our young trainees to work as a team, to be commissioned to deliver a product for an external company and to work to a brief. We are all delighted with the films that the trainees have produced, partners, staff and especially the young people who put so much work into producing the films."

Inspector McKinnon from the Hazlehead and West End Community Policing Teams added:  "We always advise people to carry out a review of security at this time of year with the nights are getting longer, but the best security in the world won't help if property is left unlocked. 

"We wanted to find a practical but sympathetic way of showing how a small change in routine can save a lot of heartache at a future time. 

"Sergeant Dave Cowie and the Station House Media Unit have worked together on this project for a number of months, and I think the results are fantastic.  Not only have they produced a high quality product, but SHMU have also developed the participants and given them media skills in the process.

"The message isn't intended to chastise, it to give a better understanding of what comes from tightening security, and I think the team did a great job in portraying this."
 

https://youtu.be/VA8nfjp3SCw