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Teens produce radio advert to combat crime

by Ruth Banks

A group of Medway teens have beaten off competition from all over the county to create a radio advert aimed at tackling violent crime.

The students, from Fort Pitt Grammar School in Chatham, composed a rap that will be played out on kmfm throughout the summer.

It was part of a programme organised by Kent Police to educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives and guns.

But it also tackles negative stereotypes about teenagers.

The winning contestants - Jennifer Staines, 14, from Gillingham, Taylor Navarro, 13, from Strood, and Kirsty Prentice, also 14 and from Strood – said they wanted to challenge the idea that young people are responsible for a large number of violent offences.

The advert includes the lyrics: "Stop, stop it ain't us. Crime by youth is only 12 per cent. All we want to do is live in Kent.

"Just because we all wear hoods don't mean that we stole your goods."

Louis Hurst, a kmfm presenter, said their catchy, sing-along advert jumped out from the rest of the entries.

"It included a lot of important messages and the rap is quite synonymous with youth culture, so we thought it ticked a lot of boxes," he said.

Chief Constable Ian Learmonth from Kent Police was also very impressed by the way the students had engaged with the issues.

Audio: Hear the winning entry

He said: "There is a perception that young people are the perpetrators, but in fact they're quite often the victims of this type of crime. So these are really important messages to get over.

"Thankfully we live in a county that's very safe. Violence and knife crime are not everyday events, but they do happen."

"I can stand up there and say don't carry a knife, but it’s listening to this advert and the music that will get the message across, because it's their own peers or friends telling them what to do."