tKap Bulletin - Nationalarchives.gov.uk
tKap Bulletin - Nationalarchives.gov.uk
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<strong>tKap</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong><br />
Sent to Police, Government Offices, OGDs, and partners. Please share this<br />
publication as you feel appropriate.<br />
Update from JUstIn rUssell, Head of Violent Crime Unit, Home Office<br />
One of the key elements contributing to TKAP’s success has been the<br />
identification and adoption of effective practice which is proven to successfully<br />
address serious youth violence. Operation Portcullis is one such example.<br />
Originally devised by South Yorkshire Police Operation Portcullis sees a range<br />
of partners working together to ensure the safety of young people as well as<br />
cracking down on all forms of violence (and ASB) in a single evening. South<br />
Yorkshire’s recent operation led to 38 arrests and no incidents of violence,<br />
including alcohol-related violence, being reported on a Saturday night. Given that<br />
police in Sheffield would usually expect six to eight serious violent incidents in<br />
one evening there is no doubt of the success of the operation.<br />
This month sees the start of a further 12 Operation Portcullis style operations<br />
taking place in TKAP areas which have been directly funded by the programme.<br />
The first operation took place in Hackney on 11 th February. Each operation<br />
starts in the early evening with Operation Staysafe aimed at engaging young<br />
people and signposting them to positive activities. If a young person is found<br />
not to be safe, officers will either decide to take them home, to a designated<br />
place of safety or if appropriate into custody. Later in the evening, the operation<br />
switches focus onto tackling alcohol-related crime and violence and sees<br />
the police working alongside local authority licensing officers and UKBA staff<br />
to tackle weapon carrying, alcohol misuse, drug use, address irresponsible<br />
licensed premises and identify those committing violence who are subject to<br />
immigration control.<br />
These operations, which tackle the spectrum of serious youth violence that<br />
TKAP is committed to reducing, will run through until the end of March. The<br />
outcomes will be captured both by the media, which has been interested and<br />
broadly supportive of operations, and by the Home Office to be shared with<br />
Ministers as well as with other police forces.<br />
Issue 05, February 2010<br />
ComInG Up…<br />
22 nd february:<br />
Roundtable on Tackling<br />
Alcohol Related<br />
Violence with senior<br />
ACPO members hosted<br />
by Alan Campbell MP.<br />
22 nd february:<br />
Third Annual European<br />
Serious Organised<br />
Crime Conference.<br />
Includes a seminar on<br />
tackling knife crime and<br />
ACC Sue Fish will make<br />
a keynote speech.<br />
2 nd March:<br />
Guns, Gangs and<br />
Knives roundtable<br />
with the Guns, Gangs<br />
and Knives roundtable<br />
with key stakeholders<br />
and third sector<br />
organisations hosted<br />
David Hanson MP.<br />
11 th March:<br />
“Guns, gangs and<br />
knives: Tackling serious<br />
youth violence in<br />
and around schools”<br />
conference in London.<br />
TKAP representatives<br />
and ministers to attend
2<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010<br />
latest statIstICs<br />
QUArTErLY CrIME STATISTICS (PUBLISHED JAnUArY 2010)<br />
During the period July to September 2009, there was an encouraging 12% fall in knife/sharp<br />
instrument offences, compared with the same period in 2008. We particularly welcome the 33% drop<br />
in knife/sharp instrument homicides from 81 to 54 cases, during July to September 2009, compared<br />
with the same period in 2008. This builds on annual figures for 2008/09 which saw a 7% drop in<br />
knife/sharp instrument homicides, compared with 2007/8.<br />
Source: Home Office 2010, Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly update to September 2009<br />
nHS ADMISSIOnS<br />
The latest nHS admissions to hospital figures for all assault with injury were published on 9th February<br />
by the nHS Information Centre. The figures include data on admissions in the target age group (13-24)<br />
for the 12 months ending October 09 compared to the same period the previous year. The figures show<br />
that there is a 3% increase across England, and also a 3% increase in both the TKAP and non-TKAP<br />
areas. Full details can be accessed at http://www.hesonline.nhs.<strong>uk</strong>/Ease/servlet/ContentServer?siteI<br />
D=1937&categoryID=1131<br />
VIolent offender manaGement BooKlet<br />
The Home Office has recently published a Violent Offender Management booklet containing examples<br />
of good practice in offender management for those who are affected by or perpetrate violent crime as<br />
individuals or as part of a gang or other criminal group. The booklet is intended to help ensure that<br />
existing and emerging risk management approaches respond effectively to the needs of adults and young<br />
people involved in violent offending behaviour. The booklet is available for you to download at http://www.<br />
crimereduction.homeoffice.<strong>gov</strong>.<strong>uk</strong>/tackling_knives.htm<br />
GUns, GanGs and KnIVes: taCKlInG serIoUs yoUth VIolenCe In and<br />
aroUnd sChools<br />
On Thursday 11 March 2010, DCSFs Youth Taskforce is hosting a “Guns, gangs and knives: Tackling<br />
serious youth violence in and around schools” conference in London. While schools remain safe places for<br />
young people, they are not immune to serious youth violence. As the universal service for young people, all<br />
schools - including pupil referral units - have the opportunity not only to tackle head-on actual or potential<br />
violence in and around school, but to work in partnership with other agencies, intervening early to prevent<br />
such incidents from happening in the first place.<br />
In many areas, schools, in partnership with other agencies, are delivering innovative approaches to<br />
tackling serious youth violence and this conference showcases some of the best practical examples of this<br />
kind of work, as well as providing a national forum to explore the key issues with DCSF and Home Office<br />
Ministers and senior policy makers. Ministers will also take the opportunity to launch new guidance on<br />
safeguarding children and young people who may be affected by gang activity, and the Damilola Taylor<br />
Trust will launch a week of action in schools encouraging young people to sign a pledge not to carry knives.<br />
registration will commence at 10:00, for an 11.00 start; the conference will close at 15:30. The event is<br />
free of charge. If you would like to attend please register your attendance by completing the online booking<br />
form at https://register.livegroup.co.<strong>uk</strong>/event/ytfyouthcrime
3<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010<br />
aBUse In teenaGe relatIonshIps taCKled wIth new CampaIGn<br />
A powerful new advertising campaign to challenge the attitudes of teenagers to violence and abuse in<br />
relationships was launched on 15th February. The campaign, funded by the Home Office and Department<br />
of Health, is part of a long-term communications plan announced in the Together We Can End Violence<br />
Against Women and Girls strategy launched in november 2009. The campaign is made up of a series of<br />
adverts which send a strong message to 13 to 18 year olds, highlighting the signs and consequences<br />
of abuse, and challenging them to stop abusive behaviour or seek help. Adverts will run 15 February to<br />
14 March across television and radio alongside viral adverts and posters. The adverts will direct young<br />
people to the campaign website (www.direct.<strong>gov</strong>.<strong>uk</strong>/thisisabuse) which will provide information on abuse<br />
in relationships and where to go for help. For further information on the campaign for stakeholders can be<br />
found at www.crimereduction.homeoffice.<strong>gov</strong>.<strong>uk</strong>/teenrelationshipabuse/<br />
<strong>tKap</strong> forCe area Updates<br />
EnGAGEMEnT AnD rEASSUrAnCE<br />
Lancashire<br />
Packs of playing cards are being produced with<br />
artwork carrying knife crime and violent crime<br />
messages. Large numbers will be distributed during<br />
March to the target 17 – 24 year old age group. The<br />
cards have previously shown to achieve a high level<br />
of impact amongst this group with the cards being<br />
retained, used and circulated amongst peer groups<br />
thus re-enforcing the messages carried.<br />
Kent<br />
Supported by funding from Government Office<br />
South East, Kent Police will deliver their “It Doesn’t<br />
Have to Happen” project for 30 secondary schools<br />
from April to June 2010. This project will see each<br />
Year 9 school group spend a whole day discussing<br />
serious youth violence and its consequences. The<br />
project will be supported by the students preparing<br />
a positive media message for young people about<br />
serious youth violence. The winning group will have<br />
their messages turned into an advert which will be<br />
aired across local Kent radio stations just before<br />
summer holidays. This project is expected to reach<br />
over 6,000 Kent students in the TKAP age range.<br />
South Yorkshire Police<br />
Barnsley Street Pastors were launched on 15th<br />
January, with over 40 people coming forward<br />
to start the training. Street Pastors is an interdenominational<br />
Church response to urban<br />
problems, engaging with people on the streets, in<br />
particular young people who feel they are excluded<br />
and marginalised. It was pioneered in London in<br />
January 2003 by rev Les Isaac, Director of the<br />
Ascension Trust, and has seen some remarkable<br />
results, including drops in crime in areas where<br />
teams have been working in locations around the<br />
country. The Barnsley Street Pastors will go out on<br />
their first mission on Friday 23rd April.<br />
Merseyside Police<br />
Merseyside Police has recently introduced a<br />
new approach to consulting young people on the<br />
issues of gun, knife and gang related criminality.<br />
The project entitled “Youth Advisory Panels”<br />
(YAPs) encourages young people to offer possible<br />
solutions for the police to consider in driving<br />
down serious youth violence. Working through<br />
Safer Schools Partnerships in Merseyside, each<br />
meeting of the Panel was fully representative<br />
of the community it serves and was convened<br />
in an outdoor setting with an alternative activity<br />
associated with the consultation. Each YAP decided<br />
which activity they wanted to do alongside the<br />
meeting with activities ranging from a field visit to<br />
Chester Zoo through to mountain biking and even<br />
to a high ropes course visit at ‘Go Ape’.<br />
Each consultation will be themed and the<br />
first one which has just completed focused on<br />
weapons carrying behaviour. The events were<br />
a great success and Merseyside have collected<br />
extremely valuable feedback on what they should<br />
do differently to tackle the issue. This information
has been fed directly through Merseyside Police,<br />
Force Youth Issues Group who have already<br />
directed for changes to be made on how the force<br />
communicates messages in the media about the<br />
consequences of carrying a weapon. The next<br />
consultation in the spring will focus on gun crime.<br />
west midlands<br />
Streetly and Walsall neighbourhood Watch has<br />
created a unique partnership with West Midlands<br />
Police by creating a Streetly Youth4em Community<br />
Action Group, facilitated by neighbourhood watch<br />
volunteers. PC Hall, force lead for Youth4em said<br />
“Together with members of neighbourhood watch,<br />
we have helped reduce ASB in the local park as well<br />
as improving the relationship between young people<br />
and neighbourhood police. Other partnerships<br />
have come on board such as nHS, Youth Services,<br />
Friends of the Parks and the local council. “The<br />
young people have enjoyed BBQs, football games<br />
and tugs-of-war. They have also had inputs from<br />
Youth Services and the nHS on drugs, sex education<br />
and keeping safe. They have been able to strike up<br />
a rapport with local officers and police community<br />
support officers and are now more aware of the work<br />
neighbourhood watch does.”<br />
As a result of this unique partnership, Government<br />
Office West Midlands has donated £1,000 for<br />
neighbourhood watch to spend on the Youth4em<br />
and has been earmarked to fund a ‘Streetly’s Got<br />
Talent’ show.<br />
EnFOrCEMEnT<br />
Northumbria<br />
During January and February, northumbria Police<br />
Public Protection Unit in Sunderland are working<br />
with probation officers from northumbria Probation<br />
Area to target offenders who have been convicted<br />
of a violent crime involving a knife. As part of the<br />
programme, police and probation officers will visit<br />
those identified to find out their views on knife<br />
crime and why they became involved in violent<br />
crime. So far, the initiative is proving successful<br />
with officers being able to stop people from re-<br />
4<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010<br />
offending as well as gain an accurate picture of the<br />
issues surrounding knife crime. Officers have also<br />
been showing young people a DVD aimed at raising<br />
awareness of the issue.<br />
Lancashire<br />
In Southern Division, proactive home visits, in<br />
partnership with other agencies are being made to<br />
offenders involved in knife crime offences and those<br />
who have committed serious violence to ensure<br />
that where relevant, interventions are put in place<br />
to reduce the risk of re-offending. Home visits are<br />
also taking place to offenders involved in violent<br />
crime and anti social behaviour in conjunction with<br />
local authority housing to consider warnings/eviction<br />
proceedings. Also included are visits to vulnerable<br />
youths at risk of offending or becoming victims.<br />
Comprehensive intervention packages have been<br />
compiled for the youths identified.<br />
South Yorkshire<br />
This month South Yorkshire Police work to tackle<br />
knife crime is focusing on continuing to assist in<br />
dealing with vulnerable premises, and ensuring<br />
that during events where there may be risk of<br />
disorder, officers are in place to advise the venue<br />
of best practice and where necessary assist by<br />
providing a visible presence on the night. The team<br />
has continued to work closely with the various<br />
door teams throughout the city centre, in order to<br />
emphasise and highlight the need for thorough<br />
searches when deemed necessary. Pro-Active<br />
Policing of the under 18’s events throughout<br />
January have been met with good response by both<br />
the young people attending the events, and the<br />
parents of those attending the venues.<br />
Operation Tactic also ran on Hillsborough Corner<br />
in Sheffield throughout January and is based on<br />
high visibility patrol, licensed premises visits and<br />
street briefings in full view of the public with the<br />
aim of targeting more serious violent crime in the<br />
Hillsborough area.
Finally, Operation Klean continues in the Parkhill<br />
area of Sheffield, where there are continued<br />
reports of young people congregating, drug<br />
dealing and drug taking from local residents.<br />
Officers conduct high visibility searches in the<br />
areas concerned. They use their powers of stop<br />
and search to target individuals suspected to be<br />
carrying weapons.<br />
South Wales<br />
An operation targeting the drug dealing activity of<br />
a street gang has reached the arrest and criminal<br />
justice stage. The arrest phase of this operation<br />
was partially funded via TKAP when the violent<br />
history of many of those targeted was apparent.<br />
Officers have arrested 24 suspected drug dealers in<br />
Christmas raids across Cardiff. Of the 24 arrested,<br />
19 were remanded into custody by the court and<br />
five have been bailed.<br />
merseyside<br />
Merseyside Police’s Street Based Teams have been<br />
in place since november 2009 and have already<br />
achieved considerable success in driving down<br />
anti-social behaviour and serious street violence<br />
on a Friday and Saturday night. Three teams are<br />
now up and running in Kensington, (Fire Service<br />
run), Anfield and Toxteth. The Anfield team were<br />
so successful on one estate in the Kirkdale area<br />
of the City that they have already redeployed to<br />
an alternative area as the significant anti-social<br />
behaviour that was being experienced has now<br />
almost disappeared.<br />
The teams now benefit from ‘hotspot’ maps<br />
provided by the Police each Friday to assist in<br />
targeting their patrols more effectively. The teams<br />
are also in mobile telephone contact with each<br />
local neighbourhood Policing Team whilst out on<br />
patrol and have the ability to provide an alternative<br />
response should it be required.<br />
South Wales<br />
Following the development of the TKAP Problem<br />
Profiles and Local Analysis, Swansea re-instigated<br />
5<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010<br />
a multi-agency `After Dark` de-brief to deal with<br />
issues arising from the weekend night Time<br />
Economy. The initiative has been developed to<br />
target under age drinking and the fake use of<br />
ID. Already a total of 356 IDs have been taken<br />
from teenagers trying to gain entry to city centre<br />
pubs and clubs since mid-September. People who<br />
knowingly lend under-age drinkers driving licences<br />
or passports so they can enter pubs in Swansea<br />
are being warned they face being fined. Over 350<br />
borrowed or stolen documents have been seized<br />
from under 18s in the city centre in the past three<br />
months. The Safer Swansea Partnership is now<br />
working with the DVLA to come up with a way of<br />
fining those who loan their IDs. The idea is they<br />
would have to pay a fine when they go to retrieve<br />
their documents from a police station.<br />
PrEVEnTIOn<br />
Bedfordshire<br />
Police in Luton have enlisted the help of an<br />
American speaker called The Scary Guy to talk<br />
with young people about hate, violence, prejudice<br />
and bullying. Bedfordshire Police, working in<br />
partnership with schools within the town, have<br />
invited the Scary Guy to support the force’s Safer<br />
Schools campaign and it is hoped that young<br />
people will listen to what he has to say about<br />
the consequences of what they do or say. During<br />
Scary’s visit to Luton he will be speaking to 11<br />
to 13 year olds and giving his presentation and<br />
unique workshops addressing issues such as<br />
becoming involved in anti social behaviour, bullying,<br />
gangs and violent crime.<br />
Lancashire<br />
Since the introduction of polycarbonate glasses<br />
to licensed premises across the Borough of<br />
Hyndburn there has been a 100% reduction in<br />
violent crimes involving glassing. The evolution of<br />
the scheme has seen the ownership of the project<br />
transferred to ‘pubwatch’ so that the latest batch<br />
of polycarbonates is distributed to members at<br />
a reduced price. The Hyndburn licensing officer
is now looking to try to establish a ‘glass free’<br />
Hyndburn with all licensed premises utilising the<br />
polycarbonate glasses prior to the 2010 World Cup.<br />
Further to the success of the scheme one premise<br />
has looked at decanting bottled drinks straight into<br />
polycarbonates prior to serving - a practice that it is<br />
hoped to be expanded upon.<br />
South Yorkshire<br />
The Ecclesfield Safer neighbourhood Team joined<br />
forces with its partners for a Week of Action in<br />
Chapeltown. The initiative took place between<br />
Monday January 18 and Sunday January 24, during<br />
which six people were arrested. During this period<br />
the South Yorkshire Police display bus visited various<br />
locations including Ecclesfield School where pupils<br />
spoke to police officers and PCSOs. Students were<br />
also shown how knife arches work and received<br />
crime prevention information and advice. Alcohol<br />
test purchase operations were carried at 12<br />
premises, three of which failed and received £80<br />
fixed penalty notices. A drugs search dog was<br />
also utilised to ensure that licensed premises<br />
were drug free. Ecclesfield Safer neighbourhood<br />
Team’s partners “Activity Sheffield” and “Sheffield<br />
Futures” helped provide activities such as indoor<br />
climbing, street dance, cheerleading and sports for<br />
youngsters. Sheffield City Council’s Environmental<br />
Health department also organised litter patrols and<br />
fire-fighters from South Yorkshire Fire and rescue<br />
carried out free home fire safety checks.<br />
In the Burngreave area of Sheffield police have<br />
been working with schools on a number of<br />
initiatives including;<br />
• Point 7 event aimed at illustrating the dangers<br />
associated with weapon oriented crime to<br />
young people aged 11 – 14 years old. This was<br />
a partnership event with “Sheffield Futures”<br />
and the Youth Offending Service. This tackles<br />
weapon orientated crime, and illustrates the<br />
dangers associated.<br />
• A Court in the Act day which sees various<br />
professionals being placed in the witness box<br />
6<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010<br />
in relation to their involvement with an offender<br />
caught in possession of an offensive weapon.<br />
This day involved 200 secondary school students.<br />
Thames Valley Police<br />
In the run up to Christmas, the Safer Milton Keynes<br />
partnership set up an ‘After 8 Elf Service pit stop’<br />
within the City Centre which was part funded by<br />
TKAP. This consisted of a portacabin staffed by<br />
volunteers from various agencies including St.<br />
Johns, Ambulance, Police, and CDrP. The purpose<br />
was to engage with the community, support<br />
reduction in public place violence, reduce A&E<br />
admissions and to promote health. With more than<br />
200 visits to the Unit and many more engaged<br />
outside, the initiative resulted in 24 ambulance call<br />
outs and A&E admissions being averted. An overall<br />
reduction in offences involving violence in the<br />
City Centre during December was also achieved.<br />
Importantly feedback indicates that a huge<br />
measure of its success was the successful coming<br />
together of all partners to make this intervention<br />
project work.<br />
west midlands<br />
Secondary school pupils across Birmingham will<br />
be able to access a confidential website allowing<br />
them to report incidents happening in the school<br />
or local community, thanks to funding from the<br />
Safer Birmingham Partnership (SBP). The ‘SHArP’<br />
system (School Help Advice reporting Page)<br />
is already in 24 schools in the city and initial<br />
feedback from pupils, parents and staff has been<br />
very positive. Funding has been secured from the<br />
SBP, for the system to be installed in the city’s 75<br />
secondary schools, as well as six pupil referral<br />
units and three special schools.<br />
The system is also a powerful communications<br />
tool, allowing police and partners to send safety<br />
messages to young people. The SHArP system has<br />
been designed to be user-friendly and accessible<br />
to pupils, and can be accessed at home, school or<br />
via mobile phone at any time. On the site, pupils<br />
can access the confidential incident reporting
page. Their emails go directly to the inboxes of<br />
the people nominated by the school as points of<br />
contact, which could be teachers or school based<br />
officers, who can either contact them in confidence<br />
or log their concerns and act upon them. A school<br />
based officer at Cockshut Hill School stated<br />
“Thanks to SHArP I have dealt with approximately<br />
35 incidents that would not have been reported<br />
before.” SHArP was first introduced in 2007 and<br />
is now installed in over 200 schools nationally and<br />
cited as good practice in the Home Office Safer<br />
Schools Guidance. For further information contact<br />
Sgt Dobrovic at the SBP on 0121 464 6211 or visit<br />
the website, www.thesharpsystem.com.<br />
South Wales<br />
A coalition of organisations including nacro,<br />
Catch 22 and Addaction have come together to<br />
commission a film called “The Fear Factory”. The<br />
film highlights a disparity between public perception<br />
and actual rates of youth crime, and the role of the<br />
media in encouraging tough youth justice policies.<br />
A screening of the film is being held in London<br />
on 1st March at The Empire Cinema, Leicester<br />
Square starting at 10.30am. The filming will be<br />
followed by a “Question Time” format debate with<br />
key commentators in the Justice field, including<br />
Dominic Grieve, David Howarth, Chris roycroft-<br />
Davies, Professor rod Morgan and Erwin James and<br />
a representative from the Ministry of Justice (tbc).<br />
If you are interested in attending follow this<br />
invitation link http://www.spiritlevelfilm.com/<br />
media/news/ff-invitation/index.html For more<br />
information please see www.thefearfactory.co.<strong>uk</strong><br />
7<br />
Issue 05 – February 2010