Awards
Tilley award winners 2005
The Tilley Awards promotes best practice in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour by recognising initiatives that reduce crime over the long term, not just by making arrests, but by working with local agencies to tackle the root causes of the problems. Sussex Police received the top award in 2005 for their innovative crime fighting operation Operation Dodger. Lancashire Constabulary was this year's runner-up for their 'Mountains into Molehills' and 'Return of the Happy Shopper' initiatives. The winner and runners-up received a glass trophy and financial support to present their projects to the International Problem Oriented Policing Conference in America later this year.
The Tilley award is named after Professor Nick Tilley, Nottingham Trent University, who has carried out considerable work in the UK, often commissioned by the Home Office, to develop problem-oriented policing (POP). The award was set up in 1999 to encourage and recognise excellence in crime reduction using problem oriented-principles. The focus of POP is on analysing and understanding problems and developing tailored responses to reducing them. The award is open to all UK police forces.
The seven other short-listed projects were:
Cleveland Police for Operation Cracker
Lancashire Constabulary for Jenny's Story
Lancashire Constabulary for Priority Premises Performance Plans PC
West Yorkshire Police for Operation Banrock
Greater Manchester Police for Operation Rockingham
South Yorkshire Police for Operation Triangle
Metropolitan Police for Reducing Reckless Moped Riding
Operation Dodger
The winners of this year's award is Sussex Police for 'Operation Dodger'
This project began as a result of the police and the Community Safety Team of the Brighton and Hove City Council receiving a large number of complaints regarding street drinking and begging. Residents, traders and tourists had also reported an increase in their fear of crime. The National Intelligence Model process identified significant crime trends within these same hotspot areas.
As an initial response Operation Dodger was created in June 2003. The operation identified and defined the cause of the problems. The council and Crime Reduction Initiatives (who provide social care support to individuals), formed a partnership with the Police in order to tackle and address prolific offenders' behaviour. Many of the offenders had drug or alcohol addictions or had suffered mental health issues.
Members of the public kept street diaries to provide evidence of the anti-social behaviour that street drinkers engaged in. Police provided reports on the number of street crimes that had been committed where alcohol was considered a contributing factor. The CDRP used measures in the Criminal Justice and Police Act to bring in a city-wide sanction on street drinking - the first in England or Wales to be granted.
Steps were also taken to treat the addiction of the individual concerned. This required the agencies to work to a problem solving approach. A regular multi-agency Street Community Anti-Social Behaviour Case Conference was convened to decide upon action plans for each individual to address their behaviour. This conference brought together statutory, private, charitable and voluntary organisations.
Over the next 15 months this work reduced beggars from 33 to just 3 - a 90% reduction. Street drinking hotspots decreased from 18 to 5 and the numbers of people engaged in street drinking reduced from 158 to 70. Communities that had experienced criminal acts and anti-social behaviour are now free to enjoy their public spaces.
Mountains into Molehills
The first runners-up were Lancashire Constabulary for 'Mountains into Molehills'
This initiative reduced 'young-runaway' cases by 32.5% in its first year and is on target to reduce by a further 18% in year two. In the first quarter of 2005 the project was rolled out, leading to a force-wide reduction in 'young-runaway' cases of 27%. Lancashire expect efficiency savings of up to £1 million in 2005.
This initiative demonstrates how the police, in partnership with care providers and local authorities, have significantly reduced the incidence of children repeatedly going missing from care. The benefits are:
significant police efficiency savings from reduced volume of missing-person investigations
reductions in crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour from breaking the cycle of 'young-runaway' behaviour
mitigating the exposure of young-runaways to drug/alcohol/substance abuse and sexual exploitation
reducing corporate liability for police and partners
Lancashire Constabulary receives over 9000 missing person reports annually. Any one case could end in tragedy. Investigating these cases is very resource intensive and a paper-based missing person system meant that it was not possible to conduct meaningful analysis. This initiative involved the creation of the most advanced computerised missing person case management system in the country. It also included an extensive literature review and problem profiles prepared by intelligence analysts. For example, in one year, six children were:
subject of 201 'missing' investigations
arrested 78 times
formally dealt with for 60 offences
victims of 9 violent offences
involved in 2 firearms incidents
misusing drugs/alcohol
sexually exploited
Each case involved the police, on average, in over 20 separate tasks and cost over £1000. The police-led multi-agency response involved the collection and sharing of data about persistent young-runaways and the care homes they came from leading to groundbreaking multi-agency tasking, coordination and performance management. When any individual is reported missing for the third time a POP based intervention is commenced with partners. A 'What Works' toolkit has been developed which has helped spread good practice.
Return of the Happy Shopper
The second runner-up was Lancashire Constabulary for 'Return of the Happy Shopper
The Callon estate in Preston was in the top 2% of deprived communities in England. The Happy Shopper was the only shop serving the community and whilst an essential community resources, experienced a high level of crime and racism. In September 2003, new owners took over and levels of theft, racial crime and anti-social behaviour escalated. Gang culture prevailed, customer numbers dwindled and the community were too scared to use their local shop.
In partnership with the shop owners, Preston City Council and local residents the police instigated multi-agency problem-solving approach with a range of responses to reinstate the shop as the heart of the community, cut crime and the fear of crime and bring offenders to justice.
The results include a 90% reduction in theft, shop revenue increased by 600%, 22 warnings were issued under the Protection from Harassment Act, 10 ASBOs were been issued and 20 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, as well as developing a thriving tenants group and Kids Club.
Last update: 08 September 2005