Educational tool to help keep thousands of children safe thanks to PCC investment
27 May 2026
Tens of thousands of school children across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are to benefit from a major new police education programme aimed at keeping them safe.
Pol-Ed is written by teachers with the help of police professionals to teach children how to understand risk, the consequences of their actions, the law and developing healthy relationships.
It’s proved so successful in other parts of the country that Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has fully funded access to the online resource for all early years to post-16 providers across the two counties.
The PCC said: “I want children from an early age to be able to understand how they can stay safe.
“Unfortunately cuts to school funding and outreach services alongside access to harmful social media content is contributing to lots of young people becoming vulnerable to harm.
“Early intervention and prevention are key to reducing crime and it’s why I continue to invest in projects like this through my Violence Reduction Unit and commissioning team.”
Pol-Ed provides schools with pre-planned lessons and content around crime and policing using the most relevant, up-to-date research and Home Office data.
Teachers can then choose what areas they’d like to focus on as part of their wider RSHE classes.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is also able to alert schools to particular issues which may be happening in their areas, with officers heading into class to deliver tailored support on subjects including knife crime, ASB or drugs.
The PCC added: “These pre-planned lessons and resources are already proving highly effective in enabling police and educational institutions to deliver timely, relevant, and engaging learning experiences to a broad range of students.
“By improving their awareness of becoming a victim or suspect of crime, we have a better chance of them staying in school and making the right choices in life.
“Pol-Ed also enables young people to properly engage with the police and understand officers’ roles in keeping our communities safe.”
Assistant Chief Constable, Tara McGovern, said: “Pol-Ed is a significant step forward in prevention and its introduction here is very welcome. It gives police and schools consistent, high-quality resources, enabling sustained education rather than one-off sessions.
“Together we will deliver earlier prevention, reduce harm, and create safer outcomes for our young people and communities for the future.”
Pol-Ed is not just for schools. The Police and Crime Commissioner is also making the £40,000 funding available to Youth Justice Services and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s voluntary sector.
Educational providers have until March 2027 to access the service. You can find out more here. A positive force in education | Pol-Ed – A positive force in education
A free event detailing Pol-Ed and its use is taking place online on June 8th at 3:30pm. To register click here – Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Launch Tickets, Monday, June 8 • 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM GMT+1 | Eventbrite