Better Blantyre Project
Owner / Author:
Sgt Jo Jollie Q632, South Lanarkshire Police Division.
Organisation:
Police
Contact Details:
Email: jo.jollie@strathclyde.pnn.police.uk
Tel. No. 01698 202531
Tel. No. 01698 202531
Strategy / Initiative Name:
Better Blantyre Project
Local Authority(ies):
South Lanarkshire
Group Targeted:
Offenders of anti-social behaviour.
Crime Type / Violence Activity:
Anti-social Behaviour
Weapon Related Crime
Weapon Related Crime
Level(s):
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Secondary
Tertiary
Aims:
- To reduce anti-social behaviour.
- To target offenders of anti-social behaviour.
Approach:
Better Blantyre is a Partnership initiative developed jointly by Strathclyde Police, South Lanarkshire Council's Housing and Technical Resources and South Lanarkshire's Community Regeneration Partnership. The initiative is intelligence led and delivered via the Blantyre Problem Solving Group.
The Better Blantyre project is building on the already existing strong partnership with four additional police constables patrolling the Blantyre area since 01/04/05. This is in addition to one Sergeant and the four Community Police Constables who were already stationed at Blantyre.
The initiative involves the officers, who are predominantly on foot patrol, engaging with the local community, in particular, the youth of the community.
The officers will target youth alcohol issues, street drinking, drug possession and use, general disorder and anti-social behaviour including carrying of knives and offensive weapons.
The Better Blantyre project is building on the already existing strong partnership with four additional police constables patrolling the Blantyre area since 01/04/05. This is in addition to one Sergeant and the four Community Police Constables who were already stationed at Blantyre.
The initiative involves the officers, who are predominantly on foot patrol, engaging with the local community, in particular, the youth of the community.
The officers will target youth alcohol issues, street drinking, drug possession and use, general disorder and anti-social behaviour including carrying of knives and offensive weapons.
Project's Methodology:
Community consultation identified anti-social behaviour and community safety problems as local priorities.
The initiative will tackle criminal and anti-social behaviour through the targeted deployment of an additional, dedicated team of police officers.
Research indicates that crime and anti-social behaviour are involved in a downward spiralling causal relationship. Anti-social behaviour statistics show Blantyre to be amongst the worst affected areas in South Lanarkshire.
The Divisional Tactical Assessment, daily analysis of STORM incidents and complaints from the community provides the exact areas of concern. This in turn will provide the areas where the officers involved in the project will concentrate their patrols, obtaining all relevant intelligence and targeting the causal effects, such as drink drugs and offensive weapons.
As a result of this, since the start of the project, there has been a marked and significant reduction in violent crime/offences and disorder.
There has also been a 6-month pilot of Offender Management, which identifies and targets prolific offenders of anti-social behaviour. The offender management programme has now been rolled out throughout the Division.
The initiative will tackle criminal and anti-social behaviour through the targeted deployment of an additional, dedicated team of police officers.
Research indicates that crime and anti-social behaviour are involved in a downward spiralling causal relationship. Anti-social behaviour statistics show Blantyre to be amongst the worst affected areas in South Lanarkshire.
The Divisional Tactical Assessment, daily analysis of STORM incidents and complaints from the community provides the exact areas of concern. This in turn will provide the areas where the officers involved in the project will concentrate their patrols, obtaining all relevant intelligence and targeting the causal effects, such as drink drugs and offensive weapons.
As a result of this, since the start of the project, there has been a marked and significant reduction in violent crime/offences and disorder.
There has also been a 6-month pilot of Offender Management, which identifies and targets prolific offenders of anti-social behaviour. The offender management programme has now been rolled out throughout the Division.
Other Agencies Involved:
South Lanarkshire's Community Regeneration Partnership, South Lanarkshire Council's Housing and Technical Resource Team and Anti-social Behaviour Investigation Team, South Lanarkshire Joint Problem Solving Group.
Evaluation Process:
The following are the performance indicators agreed in the initial bid made for funding. The evaluation of the project is based on these indicators:
- Increase reassurance, establishing and develop links with the community.
- Increase number of community information reports to help evidence ASBO's and ABC's.
- Initial increase in calls to police.
- Quicker police response times.
- Increase in ASBO's.
- Increase in acceptable behaviour contracts.
- Increase in bail conditions time restrictions.
- Initial increase in levels of crime and detection.
- Increase in policing - providing a visible police presence.
- Long term decrease in levels of crime and anti social behaviour.
Evaluation Impact:
The first 6 months of the project have proven successful in reducing crime and offences within the Blantyre area. These are documented within the following quantifiable outputs (for the period April- Sept. 05): -
| Detections | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 2004 | 2005 | +/- | 2004 | 2005 |
| Murder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Attempt Murder | 3 | 0 | -3 | 2 | 0 |
| Serious Assault | 20 | 14 | -6 | 11 | 6 |
| Assault | 160 | 117 | -43 | 90 | 64 |
| Offensive Weapons/Knifes | 29 | 40 | +11 | 27 | 40 |
| Robbery | 6 | 7 | +1 | 2 | 3 |
| Breach of the peace | 244 | 196 | -48 | 223 | 176 |
| Breach of Bail | 5 | 57 | +52 | 5 | 57 |
| Alcohol Offences(SLC byelaws) | 126 | 323 | +197 | 125 | 323 |
| Vandalism/Fire-raising | 313 | 221 | -92 | 57 | 33 |
| Drug supply | 12 | 6 | -6 | 11 | 6 |
| Drug Possession | 77 | 107 | +30 | 77 | 107 |
Incidents ' Blantyre
| Incidents recorded via Storm | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2005 | |
| Complaint | 1192 | 940 |
| Disturbance | 406 | 346 |
| Drugs/solvent | 43 | 51 |
| Vandalism | 331 | 254 |
| Assaults | 146 | 140 |
| Total of ASB inc. | 2118 | 1731 |
| Grand total of all inc. | 4415 | 3921 |
Evaluation Result:
Effective
Criticism:
None identified.
Potential:
The project is still in it's early days, however to date the officers involved have been successful in engaging and reassuring the local communities most affected by anti-social behaviour. It should be remembered that this is a long-term project with very good initial results. The potential for the project to be extended and rolled out to the other Regeneration Areas of South Lanarkshire, (Larkhall, Clydesdale and Rutherglen/Cambuslang), is very positive due to this initial success. The project has measurable and obtainable targets and outcomes, which are in line with and compliment the Strathclyde Policing Model, the operational Strategies of Response Policing, Public Reassurance and Engaging Criminality and is in essence the requirements of the Public Reassurance Strategy.
