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News
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Public will get to vote on offender community payback work schemes
Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced the launch of the new community payback schemes which will allow the public to have their say on the work that offenders carry out.
More information.
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Crime Reduction Website Focus of the Month
April's focus looks at how the Government aims to reduce bureaucracy. Jan Berry is an independent bureaucracy advocate leading on this piece of work and she is happy to answer questions on both the work of her team and where bureaucracy in policing could be reduced. Please post any questions you may have on this subject here by 16 April 2009.
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Tackling Knives Action Programme extended
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary announced the extension of the Tackling Knives Action Programme and an extra £5m investment increasing targeted police action to tackle the minority of young people who commit serious violence, regardless of the weapon involved.
The new funding will extend TKAP for another year and include two new police force areas: Kent and Hampshire.
More information
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Home Secretary launches new
counter-terrorism strategy
On 24 March, the Home Office launched a wide-ranging revision to its counter-terrorism strategy, which is known as CONTEST. The strategy sets out the principles that form the basis of the government's response to terrorism.
More information
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The 2008 Drug Strategy:
One Year On
An update on the progress of the 2008 Drug Strategy will be launched on 21 April to outline some of the successes in tackling drug misuse. The document also outlines the priorities for the coming year.
Drug System Change Pilots
One of the aims of the 2008 Drug Strategy is to deliver new approaches to drug treatment and social integration. Seven pilot partnership areas have been announced - Safer Lambeth Partnership, Safer Essex Partnership Board, Hampshire/ Southampton Partnership Trust, Leicester City Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), Hertfordshire DAAT, Bradford Safer Communities Partnership, and Sefton DAT.
These seven areas will lead the drug sector in stimulating new ideas, and to focus on the delivery of positive outcomes for drug users, their families and the local community. The partnerships will be given more freedoms and flexibilities to explore innovative approaches that, if successful, will help to determine the future direction of regional and local drug funding, commissioning and delivery systems. The pilots will operate over a two year period, commencing in April 2009.
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Expansion of the Drug Interventions Programme
Multi-agency work to get a grip on drug-related offending and the harm it causes in local neighbourhoods will be increased from 1 April as intensive activity in Wales, Bedfordshire and Blackpool goes live in the latest expansion of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP).
In the past six years, more than 172,000 drug-misusing offenders have been managed into treatment because of the DIP. The impact has been significant and acquisitive crime - to which drug-related crime makes a substantial contribution - has fallen by 28 per cent.
For more information on the Programme, click here
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New handbook for practitioners on implementing the Youth Crime Action Plan
The Youth Crime Action Plan was produced by the Children and Young People Team, working in partnership with the Youth Task Force in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and contains practical, real-life advice and information for practitioners as well as how to support young victims.
More information
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Tilley Awards 2009 - closing date 30 April 2009
The national Tilley Awards champion the best multi-agency projects across the UK that use problem solving to reduce crime and make communities safer. So if you have successfully used a problem oriented approach for reducing crime in your area, think that your project deserves recognition for its accomplishments and want to share your learning with others, consider entering this year's awards.
To support a culture of continual learning and improvement, prizes for the three UK national finalists will be tickets and travel to the US Problem-Oriented Policing Conference which is being held in California in November 2009.
Regional prizes include three tickets for the UK Problem Oriented Partnerships (POP) Conference being held in October 2009.
Prizes available for projects entered into this year's special standalone category 'Tackling violence against women' include a glass project trophy and three tickets for the UK POP Conference.
Full guidance and details of how to obtain an application form are available here
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Asset Recovery demonstration visit
A demonstration visit has been organised to provide community safety practitioners with an insight into an innovative approach to asset recovery that has made a real impact at neighbourhood level. If you are interested in attending click here.
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Action plan launched for tackling youth crime in London
A plan of action for improving the lives of young Londoners and keeping them safe and out of the criminal justice system has been announced at an event to mark the work of the London Youth Crime Prevention Board (LYCPB).
More information
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It Doesn't Have to Happen (IDHTH) anti-knife campaign
From March to May 09 the IDHTH anti-knife crime campaign is partnering with the Football Foundation's Kickz programme to reach disadvantaged young people through football. Hosted by Premier and Football league clubs, there will be 9 regional competitions and two tournament finals. The tournament is estimated to reach in excess of 1,300 young people aged between 10 and 16.
During the Easter Holidays there will be IDHTH advertising in cinemas, on screen and in foyers, which will reach the core audience of 10-16 year olds.
IDHTH adverts are currently live on targeted youth websites, encouraging young people to click through to the IDHTH Bebo page.
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£3.7m for victims of human trafficking
Victims of human trafficking will be helped to escape prostitution and domestic servitude following the award of a new £3.7 million government grant to the POPPY Project
More information
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Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) public consultation continues
March-May: there will be a series of stakeholder consultation events and a mobile roadshow seeking public views over the coming months. The event programme is as follows:
9 April - 11 April: North East
16 April - 18 April: Yorkshire and Humberside
23 April - 25 April: South West
30 April - 2 May: North West
7 May - 9 May: London
More information
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Tough new measures to protect the vulnerable
Strong safeguards to protect children and vulnerable adults were set out in greater detail by the government ahead of the launch of the vetting and barring scheme (VBS) later this year.
More information
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Not in My Neighbourhood Week 2009
dates confirmed
This year's Not in My Neighbourhood Week will take place from 2 - 6 November. Last year the Week saw local partners from every region across England and Wales running activities to show case the work that is being done to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. The Home Office will begin planning in June/July and information will be available through the Home Office Crime Reduction website.
More information
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The Child Sexual Offender Disclosure Pilot expanded
The Child Sexual Offender Disclosure Pilot has been extended within the four police forces involved in the pilot - Cleveland, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire. The fourth pilot site, Warwickshire, is already force wide.
Under the terms of the pilot launched in September 2008, a parent, carer or guardian can request that an individual who has access to their child or children is checked for any past record of child sexual offences.
More information
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More funding to fight violent crime
The government will invest an extra £5m to fight knife violence and other serious crime. The new funding will extend the successful Tackling Knives Action Programme for another year, and add two new areas (Kent and Hampshire) to it.
More information
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Empowering community leaders
Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan has announced the names and details of 32 projects across the country which will share in money from the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund (CLF).
The £5.1m Community Leadership Fund aims to support Muslim communities to tackle violent extremism. The successful projects will help build community resilience by developing the leadership skills of women, young people and faith leaders, and encouraging active, positive involvement in public life, promoting moderate messages and shared values.
More information
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News in the Regions
North East
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North East Hosts Forced Marriage Conference
The Government Office for the North East held a ground-breaking conference in Newcastle on 16th March on Forced Marriages. At the conference women with direct experience of forced marriage met education professionals and others involved in child protection to discuss how to protect potential victims, many of whom are still at school. Further details can be found here
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South West
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We are aiming to feature a news story from the regions in each edition of this e-Update. If you have a story you'd like us to feature next time, please get in touch.
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Police set up rural crime squad
A new rural crime squad has been set up in Wiltshire to tackle issues such as hare coursing, poaching and theft of farm machinery.
The team of two police constables and a community support officer will offer crime prevention advice and share updates from the farm watch scheme. They will work with neighbourhood policing teams and within the rural communities themselves.
Read more
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Regional Links: NW | NE | Y&H | SW | EM | WM | SE | EAST | LON | WALE
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Highlights
