The Left Behind

How do we reduce serious accidents and fatalities from road traffic collisions involving stolen motorbikes and cars?

During 2021 and 2022 the HU6 post code area of Hull experienced 3 deaths, 5 life changing injuries and multiple minor injuries due to collisions on our roads involving stolen motorbikes and cars.

With the support of her commanding officers, Humberside Police Force’s communications team, and Hull City Council’s Community Safety team the first responder at one of these fatalities, PCSO Dawn Brown, trusted Eski to help tell the story of what happened on that fateful day.

To gain audience insights into how and where earlier interventions could be made, we spoke with groups of young people aged between 12 and 19 at schools, youth groups and through the Youth Justice Partnership. This included young people targeted by Organised Criminal Groups where child criminal exploitation is linked to an increase in our young people taking to stealing bikes and engaging in risk taking behaviour.

We used of behavioural sciences approaches to create a narrative and focus of message based on insights around costs of behaviour, peer influence, risk-taking behaviours, and feelings of invincibility common amongst young men.

Although the police, education and youth services can and do ask young people not to steal motorbikes, they have little knowledge of how it impacts families; the one aspect that our research showed might influence our target audience. The film and campaign we created together, “The Left Behind” led with purpose to show young people the devasting effect on families and friends and loved ones never leaves you.

Upon completion the film was premiered on Friday 10th March 2023, projected onto the side of a Heron supermarket at the heart of Orchard Park, a regular meeting place for our young people and next to a youth centre. The families of people that had died attended along with over 300 residents including victims of Child Criminal Exploitation and Organised Criminal Groups.

The launch event was covered by BBC Look North on TV and BBC Radio Humberside at 6.30pm, immediately before the film because available on Humberside Police’s social media channels.

Although hard-hitting, at the end of the film it was met by a round of applause and led to meaningful dialogue about community approaches to the issues raised.

Changed heart and mind

Quantitative and qualitative evidence shows that this campaign changed heart and minds, leading to actions that have saved lives.

It has created a model for co-producing media with communities where relations with the police and authorities can be very challenging.

Launching content online is easy, however doing it in the heart of the community in partnership with a community with complex challenges and relations with the police is bold. In this case was a positive statement for ongoing community engagement and positive change.