B&NES Independent Advisory Groups (IAG) are in need of more diversity in our membership by recruiting new members, particularly parents of young teenagers. We also need representatives from those teenagers themselves in order to shape the kind of future that they want to live in, the kind of future that they will be happy to bring their own children into.

Local people are helping the police shape their responses to current issues and future strategies by getting involved in ‘Independent Advisory Groups’ (IAGs) across the country.

IAGs are a positive attempt to involve local people in local policing issues and, through their networks, to spread the word to all residents. 

Members give up their time, usually once a quarter, to discuss local issues and comment, sometimes critically, on police procedures.

You can help shape local policing through an IAG and the B&NES group is looking to increase our membership. Through this partnership, you can help the police to be the best that they can possibly be, working with us, for our communities, to protect all residents and keep you and your family safe.

At the moment our priorities are reducing Anti-social behaviour (ASB), Creating Safe Spaces and Violence Against Woman and Girls (VAWG).

We are looking for diverse opinions and advice so our aspiration is to put together a group of diverse volunteers including young people, people from seldom heard communities and people with protected characteristics as coveed by the Equality Act 2000.

If you are living, studying or working in Bath, Radstock, Keysham, Midsomer Norton and surrounding villages and want to help shape local policing, we’d like to hear from you.

If you are interested in getting involved, visit the Avon and Somerset website or email: [email protected].         

Alex Frost