The sixth annual POP (Problem Oriented Policing) Awards are being held at Avon and Somerset Police Headquarters on March 22.
The annual awards are part of the force strategy in reducing crime, the Portishead-based force reports; and this year 26 entries have been received. The shortlisted six will make their presentations on Tuesday.
This year’s awards are sponsored by McDonalds with an additional grant from Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust. The entries can win up to £3,000 to be spent on crime reduction projects. Delegates at this year’s conference will include local authorities, councillors and various partner agencies who assisted the police in detecting and reducing crime.
What they say
Sergeant Andy Owen said: “Historically entries received in the POP Award process have received national recognition. Last year’s winner, an initiative regarding dangerous fireworks in the St Paul’s area of Bristol, was a runner-up in a national competition. The scheme drove an agenda that resulted in successful passage of the Fireworks Act 2003. This year’s entries have been equally successful ranging from large operations such as the Glastonbury Festival and Bristol Crack House closures to Halloween anti-social behaviour initiatives and anti-graffiti schemes.”
The judging panel for this year’s awards consists of Prof Mike Levi from Cardiff University, PC Calvin Beckford from ACPO Crime Prevention Initiative and Laura Cuckow, Anti-Social Behaviour co-ordinator on the Bristol District.
This year’s six finalists are:
Tackling Crack Houses in St Paul’s (Bristol District)
The phenomenon of the ‘Crack House’ was first identified in St Paul’s, Bristol in 2002. This described residential premises whose primary purpose had been converted to the supply and consumption of crack cocaine. This resulted in an upsurge of criminal and anti-social behaviour close to it. A protocol established in the area has been used in the Ashley Sector on 11 occasions resulting in the closure of 32 individual housing units. Anti-social behaviour has reduced and recorded crime has reduced by 22pc across the sector and opportunist crime has reduced by 47pc. The protocol has been identified as best practice by the Government Office of the South West and was described by the Home Office as ‘innovative guidance that has worked well because it is based on good practice’.
Tackling Vehicle Crime (Bath)
In 2003 Bath experienced a significant increase vehicle crime which would have potentially resulted in an annual 13pc increase in reported crimes. Research identified hi-tech covert capture vehicles, which have the ability once stolen to be tracked using satellite technology. This gave officers the ability to safely catch up with the vehicle and once in a safe location to disable the engine and lock the doors trapping the offender within. One such vehicle was purchased with extensive media publicity. Small trackable devices capable of being hidden within items which police believe likely to be stolen were additionally purchased to address the issue of thefts from vehicles. These were again extensively advertised as a deterrent factor to
potential criminals. Analysis in November 2004 of crime trends shows a 38.5pc reduction in vehicle crime to date compared with the same period in 2003/04. Intelligence additionally shows that travelling criminals no longer target Bath.
Operation Ghoul – Halloween Initiative (Somerset West)
A pattern of anti-social behaviour was identified in Somerset West around the Halloween period.
Elderly residents were being targeted by teenagers who upon being unhappy at being refused ‘treats’ would the subject them to a ‘trick’ and their homes being pelted with eggs and flour.
A strategy was formed between police and the local authority and local schools. A poster was designed that the elderly could place in their doors to show that they did not want to be contacted by ‘Trick or Treaters’.
Local schools were contacted to re-inforce the matter to pupils. Police, local authority and volunteers conducted a patrol and any mess found on an elderly person’s property was cleaned up for them. The result of the initiative showed a reduction in the number of calls of complaint falling from 40 to 12.
Bristol Graffiti Partnership
Formed in 2004 the partnership consisted of the British Transport Police, Bristol City Council and Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Research showed a problem of graffiti on the railways was also a problem throughout Bristol on walls, fences and houses. The response needed was a strategy to target prolific offenders and to take pictures of graffiti to map the ‘tags’ of offenders. Sites were repainted by Bristol Clean & Green, applying an anti graffiti coating. The Bristol Graffiti Partnership was formed with £15k funding from Safer Bristol. Objectives of the partnership included intervening at 12 locations over 12 months, collating evidence and target offenders and diversionary work with offenders. To date there have been 14 sites, all of which have not been re-vandalised.
Anti- Social Behaviour – Steart Common (Somerset West)
Over recent years, Steart Common, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has attracted increasing numbers of young people seeking a venue for unregulated weekend parties.
The associated noise pollution was impacting on the quality of life for residents, livelihood of the commoners and adversely affecting the local economy. Community tension was on the increase and the fear of crime rising. In June 2002, the weekend of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, a four-day rave attracted an estimated 10,000 people to the common with the matter being raised in the House of Commons.
A problem solving multi-agency strategy was devised involving English Heritage, the Environmental Agency and Steart commoners. Agreements were negotiated, finance secured and a package of measures implemented. The local community rallied and formed an early warning ‘Rave Watch’. Members of the Special Constabulary committed themselves to implementing a Police Operational Order. There has not been a single rave on the common since June 2002 resulting in substantial savings to police and local authority.
Policing Glastonbury Festival (Headquarters)
The Glastonbury Festival is the largest music festival in Europe. There were significant crime and disorder issues at the site during festivals in the 1990’s largely owing to poor perimeter security and a security fence that was easily and regularly breached.
In consequence, Avon and Somerset Police, Mendip District Council and several other agencies objected to the application for the 2001 festival resulting in the event being cancelled.
In 2002 a partnership approach was developed to both the planning and operational delivery of a safe festival with a strategic lead being provided by a Tri-Partite group. The reduction in crime since the year 2000 is from 2,367 offences to just 478 offences in 2004 (an 80pc reduction) is testimony to this effort. Calls for police services have reduced by 88 per cent.
