Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick has joined calls for the government to ensure planned reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision do not leave vulnerable children at greater risk of exploitation and crime.
Mr Sidwick is one of nine Conservative Police and Crime Commissioners who have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham warning that children with complex needs could "fall through gaps between public services" if they do not receive the support they need.
The intervention comes amid ongoing concerns about child criminal exploitation in Dorset.
Earlier this year, the Dorset Echo revealed that 27 children aged between 14 and 16 were arrested for drug offences in Dorset during 2025, including teenagers suspected of supplying drugs such as crack cocaine.
READ: New figures reveal scale of Dorset children selling drugs
Separately, a Dorset support worker told the Dorset Echo that children in the county are being groomed and exploited by drug gangs, warning that the scale of the problem is often underestimated.
She said many young people are drawn into criminal activity through seemingly small gifts and favours before becoming trapped in county lines networks.
In the letter, led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC Donna Jones, the commissioners said police and criminal justice agencies regularly encounter young people whose offending behaviour has been preceded by persistent absence from school, exclusion, placement breakdown, unmet needs and disengagement from education.
The letter states: "We repeatedly encounter young people whose journey into offending has been preceded by persistent absence, exclusion, placement breakdown, unmet needs and disengagement from education.
"By the time many come to the attention of policing or the criminal justice system, opportunities for early intervention have already been missed."
The commissioners stressed that SEND is not itself a predictor of offending.
READ: Support worker lifts lid on child exploitation in Dorset
However, they warned that when additional needs are not identified or supported, children can become increasingly disengaged from education and more vulnerable to exploitation, violence and criminal activity.
The changes are intended to make education more inclusive, with children able to access specialist support in their local area without first requiring a diagnosis.
The PCCs urged ministers to view SEND reform not solely as an education issue but also as one affecting public safety, health, social care and long-term public spending.
They called for plans to protect access to specialist provision for children with complex needs, ensure a strong focus on early identification and prevention, and recognise education as an important safeguard against exploitation and offending.
Alongside Mr Sidwick, the letter was signed by police and crime commissioners from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Kent, Thames Valley, Gloucestershire, Suffolk and Humberside.
The warning comes as Dorset Council secured Government approval for its three-year SEND Improvement Plan.
The strategy aims to increase early intervention, improve inclusion in mainstream schools and expand specialist provision locally.
Speaking at the time, cabinet member for children's services Councillor Clare Sutton said the plan would help improve services for children and young people with SEND and their families, while Councillor Matt Bell said earlier support was about "protecting children today and preventing future harm".
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