West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has no plans to create a youth role, it was revealed yesterday, as calls grew for Britain’s first young crime tsar to resign over inappropriate language and views she posted on her Twitter account.
A spokesman for Mark Burns-Williamson, who was elected as the region’s first PCC last November, confirmed he had no plans to recruit an individual in a youth commissioner role, but was “exploring options” for setting up a young person’s advisory panel.
The police chief first revealed plans to create a youth body in his first five-year policing plan, which was published last month.
The statement came as 17-year-old Paris Brown – the first youth PCC for Kent – was forced to apologise for violent, racist and anti-gay comments written on her feed before she was appointed.
The tweets, which included references to taking drugs, were posted by the teenager from the ages of 14 to 16, but have since been deleted.
In a statement, she said: “I deeply apologise for any offence caused by my use of inappropriate language and for any inference of inappropriate views. I am not homophobic, racist or violent and am against the taking of drugs.”
However, yesterday a number of MPs, including Labour’s Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz, South Thanet Conservative MP Laura Sandys and fellow Kent Tory MP Damian Collins, called for her to resign.
Miss Brown, from Sheerness, Kent, was appointed to the post last week by Kent PCC Ann Barnes, who has continued to defend the youngster.
A spokesman for Mr Burns-Williamson said he was ‘keen’ to ensure young people were able to air their views and had visited a number of youth projects since his election.
In his first police and crime plan, Mr Burns-Williamson said: “During my election campaign I made the pledge to involve young people and minority groups, whose voices are often not heard by public bodies.
“I am working with young people across West Yorkshire to set up a youth advisory group and I have run a consultation event exploring the issues around hate crime to inform this plan.”
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