Criminal Damage Initiative 2006/07
Solihull
In 2006/07 the Home Office funded 10 areas to develop innovative approaches to tackling criminal damage. Of the £500,000, Solihull CDRP received £50,000. This report details how the funding was used in Solihull and summarises the main findings of the evaluation.
Details of the Project
The project focused on quick measures that will yield longer term results. A key element of the project was the use of surveillance as a deterrent and for gathering evidence.
Main activities and outcomes
Aim: To generate data to identify areas in need of action
Activity: Handheld devices were provided to Solihull Community Housing (SCH) Area Caretakers who used them to capture data on criminal damage at source for referral to the service area and prompt action.
Outcome: Use of the devices has improved the response to reports of vandalism, graffiti and environmental crime; remedial action is being taken more quickly, improving customer satisfaction levels and providing community reassurance; information is being passed to the police quickly, increasing the rate of detection and arrests. The data also helps to inform the community tasking process to ensure resources are directed to areas where criminal damage and antisocial behaviour is prevalent.
Aim: To target hot spot areas prone to criminal damage at critical times
Activity: Response vehicles (the rapid response team) were designated to react to criminal damage and related anti social behaviour (ASB) issues in hot spot areas at peak times of Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Local contacts were informed of the facility and encouraged to report incidents to the police.
Outcome: Police recorded crime shows a decrease in criminal damage, but an increase in ASB. This is as a result of proactive, focused patrols by dedicated officers who dealt with ASB at an early stage, preventing escalation of incidents to criminal damage.
Aim: To deter and to detect criminal damage.
Activity: Existing surveillance equipment was upgraded for use in known hot spot areas for criminal damage. The siting of upgraded dome hawk equipment was agreed at community tasking on a fortnightly basis to coincide with work in hot spot areas. A digital camera was purchased with an extended range for use on surveillance of environmental crimes.
Outcome: A comprehensive analysis of the use of surveillance equipment is planned and this will inform the future development of the recently adopted dome hawk surveillance strategy. The new camera equipment has significantly improved the distance over which still photographs can now be obtained, increasing the opportunity to use covert techniques to tackle ASB and criminal damage. The surveillance teams are working with the neighbourhood supervisors to tackle issues in their priority ‘hotspots’.
Key Conclusions
- The funding has made a significant contribution allowing for some quick measures to be introduced that will yield a longer term results.
- The fast response teams have made an impact on crime figures, with a decrease in Criminal Damage in 2006/07 by 12% in comparison to the same time last year. The analysis of surveillance material will be used to inform future activity and it is expected that this will bring further reductions in the long term.
Contact for further information: Gillian Magee, Community Services- Solihull MBC: gmagee@solihull.gov.uk
Home Office Criminal Damage Reduction: Criminal.damage@homeoffice.gov.uk
Last update: Friday, January 04, 2008