Working in Partnership to Reduce Youth Crime and Anti Social Behaviour

1. Working in Partnership to Reduce Youth Crime and Anti Social Behaviour West Ham & Plaistow New Deal for Communities

2. NDC Background Info • 10,000 population • Deprived neighbourhood • Diverse and transient population • Young pop • Total crime rate 61.9 per 1000

3. Initial response • Initial response to crime - Two tier policing team • Part MPS and part Community Constabulary • Crime analyst • Intensive youth projects • Residents trained in problem solving

4. Results • Total crime April 2001 to December 2004 on a downward trend. • 19% reduction in assaults (02-04) • 41% decrease in criminal damage (02-04) • 30% reduction in Disorder – plateau • Fear of crime increased

5. Response • New structure required to tackle fear and address mainstreaming • Public not seeing key issues followed through

6. Multi Agency Crime Steering Group • Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhoods Teams • LB Newham’s Anti Social Behaviour Unit, Housing, Public Realm and Culture Departments • East Thames Housing Association and other RSLs • NDC YIP Manager • Education department rep. • Neighbourhood manager • Youth service area manager • Other agencies as required • Chief Inspector (Chairing)

7. Operation • Meets monthly • Group discusses strategy • Main role is case – working. • Prioritisation of cases • Drives publicity and re-assurance strategy

8. Community Intelligence • NDC programme has engendered an engaged population • Community Forum structure used to gather intelligence • Service User groups • Centres • Schools, GPs, Early Years etc.

9. Example – West Ham • Local community forum held May 05. • Residents raised concerns around young people misbehaving in the street • Investigated concerns real/gossip • Analysis of allegations showed rise • Issue taken to crime steering group

10. Action taken • LBN Together Bus in problem road by following week • Extra patrols by SNT and Community Constabulary as a result of reports of crime – evening patrolling – door knocking • Local residents written to – confidential crime surgeries • One property targeted – LBN, RSL and MPS agree ABC by mid June • Diversionary youth activities held in immediate area and better signposting to wider Borough activities. • YIP undertook targeted consultation • Local young people signed up to Construction Training • Enforcement of an existing ASBO and key known offender arrested • Dispersal Order in place by October 05.

11. Action Taken 2

12. Result • Allegations of crime in Memorial Avenue reduced by two thirds between May and June. • Reported crime in West Ham area over last summer (July to September 05) was half that in the previous summer(04) • Young people locally were better linked into existing activities available • Helped with the integration of the Safer Neighbourhood Team • Residents felt they were being listened too and issues followed through

13. Discussion points • Structure is about better delivery of mainstream resources not NDC funded. • Role of Chief Inspector as Chair • Roll out model – Canning Town • Dispersal Order evaluation awaited • Personality or stand the test of time • Statistical reliability of localised approach