Ayr North Policing Project

Owner / Author:

South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership

Organisation:

Community Planning / Safety Partnerships

Contact Details:

Tel No: 01292 612000
Email Address: louise.fyfe@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or colin.martin@strathclyde.pnn.police.uk

Strategy / Initiative Name:

Ayr North Policing Project

Local Authority(ies):

South Ayrshire

Group Targeted:

Young people in Russell Drive, Wallacetoun area of Ayr who engage in antisocial behaviour /crime.

Crime Type / Violence Activity:

Anti-social Behaviour
Assault
Other
Violent Offenders

Level(s):

Primary
Secondary
Tertiary

Aims:

The intentions of the joint initiatives were:
  • To reduce and deter instances of general disorder, antisocial behaviour, vandalism and assault
  • To detect and report offenders when crimes are committed
  • To gain all available intelligence and carry out stop searches as appropriate
  • Increasing public reassurance through targeted high profiled and plain clothes patrols that have an influence on behaviour.

Approach:

This was a joint operation involving Strathclyde Police Ayr Divisions and South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership through the Antisocial Behaviour team.

Project's Methodology:

This project arose out of an evaluation of accrued intelligence and incident/crime analysis identifying a significant level of youth-related incidents in a small local area. The project ran for an initial month during September 2005.

Additional proactive high visibility uniform foot and mobile patrols in the area were carried out. Dedicated plainclothes patrols also operated in the area on Friday and Saturday evenings between the hours of 18.00 and 22.00 hours, which had been identified as 'hotspots'. Dedicated high visibility patrols in the same area on Friday and Saturday nights between 23.00 and 02.00 hours.

The importance of engagement with local youths formed an important part of the initiative, and all officers were briefed on the project. The use of Contact Cards was encouraged in order to identify potential offenders and to introduce them to the restorative justice and youth diversion processes available in the locality through the antisocial behaviour outreach workers.

The operation was resourced from police resources and additional joint funding by the police and anti-social behaviour team.

Other Agencies Involved:

Strathclyde Police, South Ayrshire Community Safety Partnership, Anti-social behaviour team, Community Support Officers.

Evaluation Process:

Impact / activity analysis by Strathclyde Police on outcomes such as reduction in crime figures.

Evaluation Impact:

Recorded crimes:
Date / crime
Previous month
Project month
%
Breach of the peace
10
4
- 60%
Assault
4
2
- 50%
Vandalism
3
3
   0%
Total crime
17
9
- 47%
 
Overall Complaints from the Public
Date / crime
Previous month
Project month
%
Disorder, fights etc
15
9
- 60%
Assault
9
3
- 50%
General complaints ' noise etc.
46
25
- 46%
Vandalism
6
10
+ 40%
Total crime
76
47
- 39%
 
In total 24 persons were charged with crimes and offences, 22 of which were for  behaviour of an anti-social nature including possession of offensive weapons and street drinking. One  juvenile was apprehended en-route to the area in possession of an iron bar intended for use on other youths. 
A total of 33 Contact Cards were submitted in relation to 18 juveniles. Each parent received a 'restorative justice' letter raising the circumstances of the police contact with their child and reminding them of the potential impact such activity may have on their child and the wider community. The letters also offered a free referral through South Ayrshire Council into diversion activities through the antisocial behaviour team outreach worker.  Activities are organised locally through Community Education,  Sports Development and other partner agencies with input by the Community Support Officers e.g. youth groups, Midnight Football.  The outreach worker can give information and support to young people in getting involved in these activities on a sustained basis. Some juveniles attracting more than one Contact Card will, depending on individual services, be visited directly by an anti-social behaviour team Support Worker or be subject to a Police Restorative Justice Warning. Acceptable Behaviour Contracts are also being considered for some of the more persistent individuals.
The evaluation concluded that as a result of effective multi-agency co-ordination, incident and crime analysis, intelligence gathering and funding, police resources can be deployed at the optimum times and places, targeting the most relevant behaviour and groups. Such activity in Wallacetoun has resulted in:
  • Significant reductions in anti-social behaviour as evidenced by the recorded crime and reported incident statistics
  • The identification of individuals responsible for perpetrating such activity and the identification of juveniles who may be at risk as a result of their own behaviour

Evaluation Result:

Effective

Criticism:

It should be borne in mind that anecdotal evidence of a 'displacement' effect was found i.e. moving the problem to other areas in the vicinity and this should be taken into consideration for developing and continuing the initiative. In view of discussions about using this model in other areas, it should be noted that this area may also not be typical of South Ayrshire in that it has a high level of support by different agencies and a Community Support Officer scheme in place.

Potential:

The operation was seen as successful locally and amongst partner agencies that are investigating the possibility of using the same model in other localities where a similar concentration of problems has occurred.