Drugs & Alcohol
Communities Against Drugs Getting Started A Guidance Note for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
Contents
How do Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships assess what interventions best meet local needs?
How might Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships consider what interventions to apply locally?
What process can the partnership undertake to identify problems and interventions?
What links should the Communities Against Drugs Management Group have with other groups?
What might the output from a Communities Against Drugs Management Group be?
1. Introduction – A Starting Point
1.1 The purpose of this note is to provide Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships with a suggested outline framework to begin the process of planning interventions funded by the Communities Against Drugs initiative.
1.2 The note is only a starting point. It is intended to provide a basic signpost to what is required to implement Communities Against Drugs. Use it in conjunction with the Communities Against Drugs Toolkit and other guidance, and please remember that consultancy support is available from the Drugs Prevention Advisory Service and the Crime Reduction Directors.
1.3 The guidance is also aimed at Drug Action Teams, which will also be involved in the planning of Communities Against Drugs.
| use the Communities Against Drugs Toolkit in association with this guidance note Crime Reduction Directors and the Drugs Prevention Advisory Service are available to offer support - contact details are attached at Annex 1 to this note |
2. What is the purpose of Communities Against Drugs?
2.1 Firstly, let us revisit the purpose of CAD. The purpose of Communities Against Drugs is to provide funding to local communities to support interventions to
disrupt local drugs markets by tackling both the supply and demand
tackle drug related crime
address associated anti-social behaviour
2.2 CAD needs to be seen in the wider context of mainstream service delivery and other funding streams. For example, a range of funding is available through the National Treatment Agency to support local services to tackle drug dependency, delivered locally through the public, private and voluntary sectors. Schemes for prevention work with young people are funded similarly through cross-departmental funding available to Drug Action Teams. A wide range of funding, such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, also supports regeneration activities to address social causes that can give rise to addiction.
| CAD is not about replacing mainstream services or funding. CAD is about: funding community based interventions to supplement and complement mainstream local service delivery aimed at delivering results in the short and medium term. |
3 How do Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships begin to assess the scale of the drugs related problems they face?
3.1 The purposes of CAD are set out above. Given these, how do partnerships begin to look at the types of problems they face and draw-up action plans.
3.2 A starting point for analysis is the structure of the drugs market. Drugs are sold wherever there is a market for them. The way drugs are sold reflects
who wants to buy and what they want to buy – demand
what the seller has to sell - supply
how much opportunity there is to sell- environments where buyers and sellers meet
the relationship of other crime to drug supply and demand- generating income for sellers and buyers
3.3 The strands comprising the drugs market provide a framework to consider the range of problems and associated interventions. Overall, partnerships are encouraged to look at a range of solutions for particular problems. Some questions which it may be useful to ask include:
How much of your local crime is driven by drugs? Are there particular crime problems related to drug abuse?
What are your key priorities – prevention, disrupting markets, tackling demand, assisting communities?
What order do you want to tackle things in?
Where would capital spending help and where do you want more people?
What would be an effective way of spending the money to achieve the objectives?
4. How do Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships assess what interventions best meet local needs?
4.1 There is a range of interventions available to partnerships in disrupting local drugs markets and drug related crime. Taking decisions on which interventions, or the mix, to apply will depend on local circumstances and priorities. What follows is an outline framework for analysing local problems with some examples listed at the rear of the paper.
(a) looking at the supply of drugs
4.2 Supply reduction involves reducing the amount of drugs that sellers have to sell and the opportunities they have for selling and other drug related crime. Supply interventions can achieve more immediate results.
4.3 Examples of local partnership supply interventions include:
investment in residents’ and community groups to provide information about drug supply, build up a dialogue with the police and other agencies – community led action to drive out suppliers can make a difference
additional high visibility policing to drive out suppliers – this could include extra police patrols or mobile police stations
action to address the environmental factors where drugs are sold from – examples might include the use of CCTV, additional lighting or alleygating
tackling drug related crime to reduce the income for sellers and buyers – targeted interventions to reduce acquisitive crime (e.g burglary), disrupting stolen goods markets and disrupting sex markets
tackling anti-social behaviour associated with drugs – use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (see note at Annex 2).
Supply interventions can achieve more immediate results, in the short and medium term |
(b) looking at the demand for drugs
4.4 This focuses on interventions to reduce the number of people wanting to buy and what they want to buy. Demand focused actions tend to be focused on the longer term rather than the short and medium term. Actions can include:
providing activities that distract young people from the attractions of drugs and take away the boredom that leads to use – this could include setting up youth clubs and providing sports equipment
helping young people at risk of trying or using drugs to understand the harm that can result and cope with their problems that make them more at risk – this might include education programmes and youth inclusion programmes etc.
Helping those already addicted to drugs (especially offenders) to give up their addiction with treatment or education and support- this might include specific programmes to tackle drug related offending such as services that support Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and address social and rehabilitatory needs of users.
Helping parents to educate their children about the risk from drugs and how they can cope when their children are already using
Tackling the social conditions that breed demand for drugs: poverty and social exclusion
demand interventions are more likely to achieve results in the longer term |
4.5 To tackle the whole drug problem, you need a bit of everything. Actions to tackle both supply and demand already have mainstream funding, but there may be particular problems or additional needs in your area. You will need to look at what these are to identify the mix of interventions that will most effectively tackle them. You might want to bear in mind that if you are looking for more immediate and direct effects you should turn to supply side actions first.
4.6 Ask yourself the following questions:
What kind of problem have we got?
What balance do we want between long term solutions and short term wins?
What other funding could pay for the work we want to do?
What other projects are there that already tackle the supply side? What difference would additional money make?
What other projects are there that already tackle the demand side? What difference would additional money make?
How does demand side work being done locally have an effect on sales?
What will make local people think that action is being taken?
4.7 Ultimately, the balance has to be a local one. Just base it on the need you have, the money you have to hand, what else is already being done and your priorities. Bear in mind that spreading the funds too thinly may not achieve the desired effects – it may be better to concentrate on a few priorities.
5. How might Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships consider what interventions to apply locally?
5.1 We have seen how the supply side and demand side of the drugs markets can be used to consider the range of interventions available. How do partnerships then make decisions about the range of interventions requires a partnership approach? Key agencies and the community need to get together to share information, expertise, and direct experience of the wider effects of drugs markets.
5.2 Tackling drug supply and drug related crime requires a range of partnership efforts to tackle the wide range of problems that exist. Drug use, crimes to support habits, and the buying of drugs are frequently linked and located geographically. They also relate closely to other types of crime such as sex markets, handling stolen goods, and firearms offences. Tackling this range of issues requires action by numerous partners working closely together.
5.3 In addition, increasingly, the issue of supply at the local level is being seen as a serious impediment to the achievement of regeneration programmes for the most deprived areas and effective tackling of social exclusion. There remains a major need to incorporate action to control supply within larger area oriented perspectives across the whole social dimension and to ensure that action to disrupt supply is connected actively to regeneration strategy.
5.4 The HMIC report for ‘Calling Time On Crime’ recognised the importance of partnership working. It suggested a structured approach to crime reduction and disorder. Interventions should be considered as part of a structured analytical process which draws on intelligence to consider options for problem solving. It was also acknowledged that problem solving processes should be applied either individually or in a combination depending upon the local context. The same applies to disrupting drugs markets which itself is inextricably linked with crime and disorder. The report advocated a multi agency approach to problem solving which draws together short, medium and long term approaches. The model is outlined in the diagram below:
Click here for a full-size version of the diagram (83K)
| the key to success is agencies and the community working together to assess local problems and arrive at solutions which best meet local needs take a structured approach to analysing problems using information and bringing together local agencies and the community |
6. What can different agencies and the community contribute?
6.1 We have seen that best practice is to adopt a multi agency approach to a structured problem solving approach. It is recommended that a discrete management group is set up locally to implement the Communities Against Drugs initiative. There are a number of other agencies, which could contribute to a management group:
Those who are formally involved in tackling supply, albeit at a higher or specialist level – Customs, Prison management
Those who have civil powers which can be applied to add to sanctions against drug suppliers: most typically housing authorities and environmental health officers; or local authority anti-social behaviour order teams
Those who are concerned with the long term civic health of an area or neighbourhood – regeneration partnerships etc.
Those who can supply intelligence about crime and other supply derived from their close management of those involved in supply and drug use, for other reasons: drug treatment agencies, Social Services departments; Probation etc
Those who are concerned about the supply of drugs and drug related crime near to their own homes or to their clients or users – health agencies, residents’ associations, schools, youth clubs, young people and possibly users.
6.2 If Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships wish, funds can be handed over to other agencies if everyone agrees that doing so will have the biggest impact on the problem, in their particular circumstances.
| best practice is to set up a management group comprising key agencies and the community consider which agencies can provide the necessary information and expertise |
7. What contributions can partners make?
7.1 In practice the respective contribution of these groups can be distinguished into:
Those who can supply operational information that may be relevant to specific locations, operations and activities – HM Customs or the Prison Service for example
Those who can only contribute in general terms about areas where supply is most prevalent rather than identifiable cases due to confidentiality – the Probation Service, Drug Teams etc
Those who are concerned about issues in specific localities – schools, residents’ associations, rather than across the breadth of a DAT/DAAT or CDRP area
8. Who are these potential key partners?
8.1 From the analysis here, some partners can be key to working strategically alongside DATs (and Drug Reference Groups which are sub-groups of DATs) and DAATs to tackle supply on an operational and a strategic level, and some from time to time, to tackle specific neighbourhoods and areas. Some, although individually concerned with specific areas and even individual streets and blocks, can represent a viewpoint that is important strategically – such as residents’ associations or local people, for example. To manage low level supply the following are essential for any partnership:
Police within the BCU command and at the force wide serious crime or drug team
Local authority staff working on regeneration strategies for whole areas
Housing management staff
Those capable of representing the viewpoints of local people affected by drug supply in their area
8.2 These partners could simply co-operate informally on a case by case basis. However, for strategic, long term development of proactive solutions to drug related crime, they should meet regularly as a group. Each of these identified should be essential members of any partnership group working together to tackle supply and crime. They should form the core, regular group. Others can be brought in on a co-opted basis for the additional specific information and contribution they bring, or for specialist knowledge (eg crime analysts), and contribution of valuable information and intelligence that can be mapped and used for planning.
9. What process can the partnership undertake to identify problems and interventions?
9.1 Success in tackling supply should involve the following:
Mapping patterns and types of supply and other drug related crime
Mapping the damage crime and supply brings to the neighbourhoods involved (taking into account the views of local people) and how it impacts on other social programmes such as regeneration
Mapping how supply is related to other crimes
Identifying areas where supply is so problematic that action should be prioritised, and within these, specific places and locations where problems are acute
Identifying the causes of market locations and developing programmes of action targeted at specific areas that address these causes through supply and demand actions
Identifying other areas at risk of developing markets due to the presence of creative factors; setting in place programmes to prevent their development
Monitoring the effectiveness of actions over time, including displacement
9.2 Areas where supply is acute can include both residential neighbourhoods and clubs, pubs and public settings like shopping centres and stations. This extends the range of those who may be consulted and involved in relation to specific areas to include such as Transport Police, shopping mall security and town centre managers.
partners can be used to build up a comprehensive picture of drugs related problems in the area |
10. What skills are required by partnerships
10.1 These tasks require partnerships to develop skills in:
Working well across agencies collectively in partnership
Gathering information about supply patterns
Setting up systems to gather information confidentially, without risk
Mapping such information to plan activity
Assigning roles to partnership members
Collaborating across agencies to dovetail interventions
Managing risk sensitive information that would impair the success of operations
Obtaining resources that are required for major operations (eg Force wide police specialist teams)
Evaluating success and reporting back
Negotiating across partnerships
11. What links should the Communities Against Drugs Management Group have with other groups?
11.1 The Communities Against Drugs group would focus on Communities Against Drugs initiative. They will need have links with partnerships that have a wider remit to oversee drug related crime – the DATs/DAATs and CDRPs. Links should also be made to Local Strategic Partnerships, as they develop, to make the links with drugs markets and the wider aims to regenerate the poorest and most deprived communities.
11.2 The management groups could act as effective sub-groups of both partnerships, but reporting to both groups. They might have the role of reporting on activities against agreed partnership targets, constituting the official accountable reporting for expenditure used. This might then form the content for the report to be included in the annual DAT plan. A suggested reporting structure is outlined below:
12. What might the output from a Communities Against Drugs Management Group be?
12.1 It is expected that the management group, using the structured problem solving process would produce a range of interventions in the form of a plan ready for agreement by the Drug Action team and local police commander. An example of a plan is attached at Annex 3 to this note.
12.2 This plan might also form the basis for a report on outcomes, submitted by the CDRP for inclusion in the DAT plan. In the longer term, the report might become part of other already established community safety reporting mechanisms. Partnerships may also decide to use other models for a Communities Against Drugs Management Group.
ACACIA SCHOOL – A CASE STUDY
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Acacia Avenue Upper School identifies that in a nearby street to their school there is a house used for drug sales and on which there are reports of pupils entering at lunchtime and after school buying drugs. Information is passed to the Police. The Communities Against Drugs Management Group confirms the information through consultation with Neighbourhood Watch for the area and residents’ groups. They identify that the residents are tenants of the Acacia Housing Association. Neighbourhood Watch, the residents’ groups and the Housing Association are involved in the subsequent planning of an operation. |
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A Police operation leading to a raid and subsequent prosecution of the tenants is backed by action by the Housing Association to serve notice on the tenant for breach of tenancy conditions. Surveillance identifies the house is used to sell opiates to a large number of local heroin users. As part of the operation the police refer a number of drug users to arrest referral workers. Outreach workers are active during this period encouraging others into contact with drug services. The sale location is mapped, with post code area highlighting to show a significant number of users in the area. This is cross-mapped against burglary and robbery in the area. The school devotes a specific day in addition to its usual curricula work on drugs. A parents evening is held at which police speak. The Acacia Housing Association includes reference to the case in its tenant newsletter and reminds tenants that supply is a breach of tenancy conditions. Longer term, it engages a part time tenancy support worker to work on the estate on drug issues with identified tenants. |
Last update: Tuesday, October 03, 2006