Tilley Awards 2001

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Winner! Improving POP Initiatives in Lancashire

Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire, UK

In 1998, the Chief Constable of Lancashire stated that all personnel in the Lancashire Constabulary would embrace problem oriented policing (POP) to tackle the underlying causes to crime and disorder. During 1999, all of the POP initiatives were evaluated producing four critical findings. First, only 33% of initiatives resulted in a sustainable solution. Second, initiatives, in which partnerships were formed with other agencies, were more likely to be successful. Third, certain partner agencies were more likely to be associated with success. Finally, initiatives relying on intensive police resources were less likely to succeed. Based on these findings, it was clear that officers needed guidance prior to submitting their initiative and that the good practice must be implemented. An electronic submission procedure was implemented to forced officers to submit an outline to their local POP coordinator and work through mandatory good practice guidelines. After this response had been implemented an identical evaluation took place to assess whether the partnership initiatives had improved. The number of initiatives had decreased, but use of the good practice guidelines had increased significantly. As a result those initiatives resulting in a sustainable solution had risen from a 33% to an impressive 80% success rate.

Winner! Operation Crystal/Crystal Clear

Merseyside Police Department, Merseyside, UK

The police from St. Anne Street Police Station became aware that the number of glass related injuries occurring were increasing. During a six-week period in the summer of 1997, nearly half of all of the serious assaults involved the use of a bottle or glass. As a result, the police launched Operation Crystal, a police initiative designed to stop bottles and glasses being removed from licensed premises by using police notices and placing extra police officers in areas where incidents involving bottles and glasses were more likely to occur. Although successful, the operations were costly. A multi-agency panel was established to provide a more cost effective solution to the problem. The campaign was effective and independent evaluation revealed that hospital admissions were reduced by over 50% during and after the campaign. From Crystal Clear, new legislation allows police officers to seize open bottles and glasses from any person walking in the city centre.

Operation Atlas

Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire, UK

Over the years, the local authority converted a disused railway line into vast car parks, which were built, with little thought of vehicle security, to accommodate large quantities of day-trippers in Blackpool . As a result, vehicle related crime was increasing. Three officers were brought together to form the Operation Atlas team to reduce all vehicle related crime using several interventions including educating potential victims and targeting "hot spots" and offenders. Vehicle related crime has been reduced substantially and continues to fall monthly.

The Blackthorn CASPAR Project

Northhamptonshire Police, Northhamptonshire, UK

Blackthorn, an estate of 2,200 houses, had a burglary rate six times that of the rest of Northhampton and a high rate of antisocial behaviour. A community survey was conducted to identify problems, their causes, and possible solutions. 809 responses were received and several problems were identified including the appearance of the area, the layout of the estates, groups of young people, a lack of provisions for young people, overall crime, low levels of reporting crime, and a high level of cynicism about community involvement and the activities of statutory agencies. A number of partnership projects were established to respond to the issues raised in the survey. The effort consisted of abandoned vehicle removal, environmental changes, targeted support for young offenders, an increase in youth provisions, burglary reduction "Neighbourhood Warden," targeted intelligence-led policing, and publicity strategy. Crime was reduced substantially as the quality of life increased.