Tilley Awards 2008

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Winner! Bolton BeSafe Reducing Criminal Damage

Greater Manchester Police (Manchester, UK) YouTubeVideo

Reducing Criminal Damage in Bolton. Greater Manchester Police, United Kingdom. 2008. 18 pages. A challenging target of a 23percent reduction in criminal damage was negotiated and included as part of a crime and disorder reduction strategy. Historically, criminal damage generated a large volume of crime for the partnership and between April 2004 and March 2007 accounted for more than a third of all British Crime Survey comparator crimes. Analysis relying on data from a wide range of sources such as Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Rescue, Bolton Council and Housing identified seven priority neighbourhoods, demographic profiles, victim and offender profile, trends, time and spatial analysis. Responses relied on the problem profile and focused on the seven priority neighbourhoods, repeat victims and persistent offenders. Activity included targeted use of antisocial behaviour tools and powers, including ASBOs and ABCs, situational crime prevention methods such as gating orders, CCTV and environmental work including beat sweeps. Since 2006/7, criminal damage was reduced by 13.4percent across Bolton and by 21.5percent in the seven priority areas identified in the analysis where the majority of activity took place.

Operation Wilt: Bradford North

West Yorkshire Police (Wakefield, UK) YouTubeVideo

Operation Wilt: Bradford North. West Yorkshire Police, United Kingdom. 2008. 18 pages. A significant increase in incidents of criminal damage and anti-social behaviour during October 2006, corresponding with the month of Ramadan and concentrating in the predominantly Asian/Muslim communities of Manningham, Heaton and Girlington prompted further analysis. While no specific victim group was identified, it was apparent that the highest proportion of offenders was teenage Asian males, with the majority of offences committed during the evening. The project aimed to reduce criminal damage and anti-social behaviour by 30 percent during Ramadan 2007 against 2006, by engaging local communities through youth diversion, education and media campaigns, removal of anonymity among would be offenders, police enforcement, security and patrol with local community support, and an outreach to area youth. The project achieved a 30 percent reduction in criminal damage, a reduction in anti-social behavior of 37 percent, strengthened community ties and ongoing support.

Park Life Merton

Safer Merton (Merton, UK) YouTubeVideo

Park Life: Combating Disorder Through Partnership in Lower Morden, Merton. Safer Merton, United Kingdom. 2008. 16 pages. Analysis of Mertons 2005 Annual Residents Survey identified the Lower Morden ward as having the second highest fear of crime in the borough, despite having the lowest level of actual crime. A consultation exercise found the cause to be King Georges Playing Field, a park situated in the centre of the ward, where a broken down fence allowed access to the park via open, privately owned alleyways which facilitated loitering and alcohol use by local youths. Funding was acquired to replace the fence for the perimeter of the park, resident action groups were formed, and diversion and engagement of the youths in the park took place. Fear of crime in the ward dropped from 75 percent claiming to be very of fairly worried about crime in 2005, to 54 percent in 2007. Calls to police in the park or its perimeter dropped by 17 percent and graffiti callouts to the park dropped by 39 percent over a six-month comparative period. No evidence of displacement either to the surrounding streets or to nearby green spaces were observed.