SEPTEMBER’SCOMMUNITY SAFETY NEWS ITEMS, PUBLICATIONS, AND RESEARCH
COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW 2007
The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators
The new national indicator set for local authorities and local authority partnerships was announced as part of the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review announcement on Tuesday 9 October.
The new national indicators will be the only means of measuring national priorities that have been agreed by Government. The Local Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities committed to a smaller more focused set of priorities as well as radically reduce the number of national indicators.
The number of national indicators has been radically reduced, from around 1200 that local authorities and their partners report on at present, to 198. The new indicators will strengthen the incentives for closer partnership working to deliver joined-up outcomes because they will apply (where relevant) to other local partners - such as Primary Care Trusts and police.
The headline definitions for the 198 are contained in the document The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators. Central government will shortly consult on the technical definitions of the indicators, giving stakeholders an opportunity to give views on the methodology, frequency of reporting, and data sources of each individual indicator. If in the interim period there are detailed questions relating to the indicators, these can be directed to .
Please click on the link below to access the full document containing the single set of national indicators. Indicators 15 – 49 relate directly to Community Safety and can be found on page 6 of the PDF file. (N.B. this is a large file and may take a few minutes to download).
INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF POLICING
A More Local Police?
LGiU website 19/09/07
Sir Ronnie Flanagan has just published his interim report as part of his review of policing, commissioned by the Home Office in March. The review has had little attention in local government, but it should be big news.
Sir Ronnie has been given a mandate to look radically at making police more accountable to local communities - something that many in local government have been calling for.
CDRP REFORM
Strategic Assessments
A Strategic Assessment toolkit for CDRPs is available on line from the Crime Reduction website.
'Developing a Strategic Assessment: An effective practice toolkit for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships’ can be accessed now. This guidance will provide additional information for practitioners on how to develop a strategic assessment.
CRIME AND DISORDER
New Crime Strategy Released
Crime Reduction website
The government's new crime strategy announced today looks to the future after 10 years of success cutting crime rates. The crime strategy, Cutting Crime: a new partnership, signals a renewed focus on tackling violent crime, and offers improved support for victims of violent crime. It also calls for maintaining and strengtheningefforts to stop anti-social behaviour.
One key element is making information about crime available to local communities. The Home Secretary announced today that, from July 2008, everyone will be able to access straightforward, street-by-street information via the internet about crime in their area.
Problem Oriented Partnerships - Tilley Awards Winner
Crime Reduction website 02/10/07
The winning places for the Tilley Awards 2007 finalists were revealed at the UK POP Conference on 4th September 2007. 1st prize was awarded to Preston’sMOPPIN’ Up Dodgeproject.
The Tilley Awards are named after Professor Nick Tilley of NottinghamTrentUniversity, who has carried out considerable work in the UK, often commissioned by the Home Office, to develop problem-oriented policing (POP). The awards are funded by the Home Office Crime Reduction and Community Safety Directorate and were set up in 1999 to encourage and recognise excellence in using problem-oriented policing principles. Recent years have seen a shift towards problem-oriented partnership working and the awards are presented at the annual National Problem-Oriented Partnerships Conference.
Blackburn Wins International Policing Award
Lancashire Constabulary Website 28/09/07
A pioneering crime reduction scheme from Blackburn with Darwen has won an international policing award.
The NCH Blackburn with Darwen Family Intervention Project was awarded the Herman Goldstein Award at the 18th Annual Problem-Oriented Policing Conference in the USA.
Be a Bright Spark 2007 Launched at Blackpool
Lancashire Constabulary Website 01/10/07
For the third year running partner organisations across Blackpool and the Fylde are urging Teenagers to stay safe this Bonfire Night, as part of a County-wide campaign led by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
Bright Sparx aims to clamp down on dangerous behaviour on the lead up to November 5th – urging young people and their parents to attend organised displays. This year the official bonfires will take place at Blackpool Cricket Club, Fylde Rugby Club, and Cottam Hall, Poulton.
Students Learning to Keep Safe
Government News Network website 27/09/07
Preston's new intake of university students are getting extra lessons in staying safe. For Preston Community Safety Partnership has drawn up a 10-point action plan to help young scholars enjoy a trouble-free term time.
The partnership - made up of a range of local agencies such as Preston City Council, Lancashire Constabulary and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service - has joined forces with the University of Central Lancashire to ensure students can enjoy their time in a new city.
New Powers to Tackle Gun and Knife Crime
Respect Agenda website 01/10/07
A range of tough new powers to tackle alcohol-fuelled disorder, knife and gun crime, including realistic imitation firearms and air weapons take effect on 1st October 2007. The new violent crime measures form part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said,“The new measures […] send the strong signal that weapons on our streets will not be tolerated. Tackling gun and knife crime is a top priority for this Government and it is essential that we build on the tools and powers that police already have in order to make people feel safer and more secure in their communities.
“We are determined to prevent young people obtaining knives by raising the age from 16 to 18. We are also determined to crack down on the criminals who use realistic imitation firearms to threaten and intimidate people”.
British Crime Survey Crime Stable While Total Recorded Crime Continues to Fall
Government News Network website 18/10/07
Crime in England and Wales remains stable according to the British Crime Survey (BCS) and has fallen by seven per cent according to the police recorded crime statistics, published in the quarterly update today.
For the crime types it covers, the BCS provides a more reliable measure of trends in crime as it has a consistent methodology and is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting to the police, recording practice or police activity.
The full document can be found on the Home Office Research and Development Statistics website:
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