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“Helping people feel safer by working together with local communities to reduce Crime & Anti-Social Behaviour in Bromsgrove”

Annual Report 2005 – 2006

The last 12 months has seen a number of exciting developments for Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership and the Community Safety Team within Bromsgrove District Council.

A new Chair for the Partnership, Chief Inspector Charlie Hill was appointed with Robbie Hazlehurst, Head of Culture and Community Services, Bromsgrove District Council as Vice Chair.

A new Community Safety Team has been established within the Council. Teams that have a day-to-day impact on the safety and security of the community were joined together as from the 1^st February 2006, they are: Community Safety, CCTV and Life Line. Community Safety is part of the newly formed Culture and Community Services Team.

The Partnership has received praise on its efforts to cut Crime in this District from Margaret O’Mara, Director of Home Office’s Crime Reduction and Community Safety Group.

During 2005/06 Comparator Crimes (those that affect the Quality of Life of our residents such as Vehicle Crime, Criminal Damage, Domestic Burglary, Violent Crime and Robbery) plummeted from 4,050 to 3,478 – a terrific 14.2% drop. Comparator Crimes are those that The Home Office measures the performance of all Community Safety Partnerships in England & Wales against.

The Partnership received support and guidance throughout the year from Cannock Chase Community Safety Partnership, who as a Beacon Partnership, received funding from Government Office West Midlands to mentor important changes in the way Bromsgrove Partnership operates.

The introduction of PACT (Partners And Communities Together) and Partnership Tasking around Anti Social Behaviour and Criminal Damage have enabled Communities to have a direct say in how they are Policed and get local issues solved that are important to them.

Tasking via the Community Safety Partnership, using the Partners own dedicated Analyst, is enabling its resources to be targeted in the areas that most need them. The Tasking Group is Chaired by Robbie Hazlehurst, Head of Culture and Community Services, Bromsgrove District Council and Ian Jallands, Station Manager, Bromsgrove, Fire & Rescue Service as Vice Chair.

Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership

The Community Safety Strategy 2005/08 identified five key priority areas.

Priority 1 Keeping Bromsgrove Safe

Priority 2 Keeping Communities feeling safe

Priority 3 Achieve Cleaner Greener and Safer Public Spaces

Priority 4 Reduce the harm caused by Drugs and Alcohol

Priority 5 Realise the potential of Young People

FUNDING INCOMES 2005/06

West Mercia Police, BCU (Basic Command Unit)

Worcestershire County Council

Bromsgrove District Council

Safer Stronger Communities Fund, Government Office for the West Midlands

PROJECTS FUNDED 2005/06

Community Safety Admin Support

To support the Community Safety Team, prepare quarterly claims to Government Office West Midlands and liaise with Bromsgrove District Council Finance Dept to monitor incoming & outgoing funds and invoicing to agreed/correct budget codes.

Community Safety Partnerships Officer

Manage Partnership projects and budgets within its 3 year Strategy, Neighbourhood Wardens (achieving their Accreditation) together with the development of Bromsgrove CDRP Tasking.

Neighbourhood Wardens

Neighbourhood Wardens are the communities ‘eyes and ears’ liaising between them and statutory or voluntary agencies. Wardens work with ‘hard to reach’ young people who are causing or likely to cause Anti Social Behaviour. Accreditation was achieved in 2005 for the Neighbourhood Warden Scheme via West Mercia Police which enabled them to use delegated powers from the Police such as confiscating alcohol and tobacco in designated areas.

The Partnership recognised the positive impact Wardens are having on the communities they serve in the Charford, Whitford, Catshill and Sidemoor Wards. It decided to channel a significant proportion of its funding to recruit an additional 2 Wardens, bringing the total to 4 funded by them.

Drugs Analyst

Continued funding from 2004/05, (last year of funding) to employ a full time analyst to profile problem areas for Police operational teams to resource/act on and share Information between Partners. Information provided for Redditch and Bromsgrove Drugs and Alcohol Group regarding the current drug intelligence picture within the area.

Stonham Project

Continued funding from 2004/05 for an Outreach Service by Stonham Housing Association which is a provider of supported housing for special needs. This project delivers an outreach service for offenders and domestic violence that involves substance misuse. It supports clients in maintaining their tenancies and accommodation, in order to help prevent homelessness and assists clients in their search for work and maintain a safe lifestyle.

Life Education Centres

In areas of deprivation young people are extremely susceptible to substance misuse and crime related issues. The LEC strives to break this vicious circle by equipping children with the necessary information and decision making skills to make informed decisions and strengthen personal commitment, linked to this the LEC parenting programmes promote positive parenting subsequently impacting on young people’s behaviour.

MARC / Turning Point

This is to support and enhance the fall out of current and potential drug users in Charford, Bromsgrove from Operation Jericho which was a multi-agency project to identify, arrest and convict drug dealers in the area. The Multi Agency Resource Centre (MARC) and Turning Point are currently working together to work with drug users who have relied on dealers for their supply and to get them into recognised treatment plans. Both Voluntary Groups are also working on Drugs Awareness Programmes with those considered or potentially at risk.

Worcestershire Domestic Violence Forum

Helps maintain and develop the Worcs. 24 hour freephone Domestic Violence Helpline and promote forthcoming public awareness campaigns. Developing a pilot education package appropriate for specific ages in schools and promote ongoing training for teachers in schools with designated child protection.

Manic Mondays

Delivered diversionary projects for young people during the 2005 summer holidays 5 x days a week in Bromsgrove and Catshill, Charford, Wythall and Rubery.

SPACE Outreach Workers

Co-funded by all Worcestershire Community Safety Partnerships it provides Outreach workers who target vulnerable, hard to reach youngsters using drugs and alcohol.

MerciaNet Training

Co-funded by all Worcestershire Community Safety Partnerships to provide free training around drugs and alcohol misuse for statutory and voluntary groups.

Youth Outreach MARC

Provide Outreach work in Charford and Sidemoor which were two priority areas for crime and anti-social behaviour.

Public Re-assurance Campaign re: Drugs and Alcohol

Funding Worcestershire Substance Misuse Action Team to develop a high profile awareness campaign around binge drinking, underage drinking and fear of crime / drugs issues.

Fear of Crime Survey

The survey is co-funded by West Mercia Police and 13 x Community Safety Partnerships in West Mercia looking at Crime and Disorder, Anti Social Behaviour and Fear of Crime.

ASB Co-ordinator

Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership, employed until October 2005 when the funding was put towards an additional 2 x Neighbourhood Wardens.

Community Safety Partnership Projects

Bromsgrove Town Centre is the flagship area for this District. The reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour and making it a greener and safer place for residents and visitors to shop/work and enjoy the night time economy are its main aims. Currently the Town Centre is top of crime and anti-social behaviour figures for our District. Schemes already in place include banning disruptive people from drinking in Bromsgrove Centre Pubs (B.A.N.D.) and operations against ‘boy racers’. Enhanced Shop and Pub Watch schemes are being developed with shop owners/managers and landlords.

A Domestic Abuse Project was established via Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership, representing:

Redditch & Bromsgrove PCT

Stonham Housing

West Mercia Police’s Domestic Violence Unit

Worcestershire County Council's Adult Protection Team

Bromsgrove District Housing Trust

Worcestershire County Council’s Domestic Violence Team

Crown Prosecution Service

It is initially developed an awareness of Domestic Violence issues and contact points for those suffering from its effects.

Waseley Hills Project

Bi-annual youth event for the whole district. Support for the extensive pre-workshops (approx. 30/40) that took place between January – March 2006 across the district.

Review of the Partnership

The Partnership enlisted the support of Cannock Chase District Council which has achieved Beacon status from the Government for the excellent work achieved by its Community Safety Partnership.

Cannock Chase acted as a critical friend to our Partnership in reviewing our 3 Year Strategy and identify people within the Partnership to help deliver its five priorities.

PARTNERS AND COMMUNITIES TOGETHER (PACT)

PACT identifies the key people in a Ward including their local police officers and police community support officers to work together with the residents in tackling the local issues that are important to them. This could include things like:

• Joint working to resolve local priorities set by communities.

• Sharing information and data to give a clearer picture of the real issues.

• Providing follow up communications in a co-ordinated way performance to inform communities about what is happening.

Community Safety Partnership Tasking

For our Partnership to be in a position to tackle the local issues highlighted within its Community Safety Strategy there needed to be a structured approach to the identification and resolution of local problems. We have created an Analyst post shared between Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnerships. The Analyst is based in the Research & Intelligence Unit at Worcestershire County Council, with priorities determined by both Community Safety Partnerships.

Monthly meetings are held which are informed by an evidence database developed by our Analyst. Evidence is gathered and analysed to identify specific issues regarding a particular theme and/or geographical area.

Issues raised through a range of community consultation and engagement groups such as PACT also help prioritise problems and areas.

Tasking is aimed at representatives of partner organisations who are able to directly, or indirectly, deploy resources. The key objective is to identify common problems across agencies, and tackle them in partnership.

An action plan is agreed as to how an issue will be tackled with feedback on progress at the next meeting.

The focus on Anti-Social Behaviour and Criminal Damage in Tasking is in line with the Government’s Respect Agenda. These are the largest categories of crime affecting the Quality of Life within our community, making them the top priority for Bromsgrove.

Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership Performance

Number of British Crime Survey Comparator crimes, March 2003 – March 2008 (projected)