It's 10 o'clock, it'spitch black, and she's 14years of age, out in the parkwith a young lad.
PC Metcalfe
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Plan aims to get teens off street
Dave HowardNewsbeat political reporter
New measures to get children off the streets at night are beingrolled out across the country.
Operation Staysafe will give policethe power to hand young people overto social workers.It'll soon be in place in more than 30different parts of England.Newsbeat's spent a night out on aStaysafe patrol to see how they work.One 14-year-old girl isn't getting arrested - but a confrontation withtwo uniformed police officers has left her sobbing.At 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, she's been picked up as she walksthrough the local park in Preston's St Matthews area with aboyfriend.She's one of dozens of young people approached in the area bypolice as part of Operation Staysafe.PC Graham Metcalfe asks: "Do your mum and dad know where youare?"She's stillsobbingas she answers, "Yeah. I'm allowed out until half
past 10, and then I've got to go in."But PC Metcalfe isn't convinced by her story, so he decides to escorther home.As he radios for a minibus, heexplains: "It's 10 o'clock, it's pitchblack, and she's 14 years of age, outin the park with a young lad. If herparents are happy with that, well,that's fine."Back at her house, PC Metcalfe and his partner explain to her parentswhat's going on.As they do so, the minibus drives off to bring back social workerCaroline Wallace.By the time Caroline arrives it's 11 o'clock at night. She says: "You'renot in trouble. But do you understand why the police have picked youup and returned you home?"
'At risk' children
Caroline says her role as a children's social worker is "ensuringparents are aware of their responsibilities. The concern tonight wasthat this young person was out, and couldn't provide any contactdetails for her parents".Elsewhere, a 14-year-old boy was found with a bag of cannabis anda 13-year-old was discovered drinking lager.In both cases their parents were called up and made to meet withsocial workers.Perhaps most worrying was a nine-year-old boy who was foundwandering alone near a main road.He was two miles from his home wearing only thin clothes, eventhough there was a thick frost on the ground.
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