Who can help and local solutions

For a comprehensive and imaginative approach to reducing crime and the fear of crime, it is important to look beyond the deployment of police officers themselves.

West Mercia Constabulary’s Rural Policing Strategy sits under the Forces’ comprehensive Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy.

Central to this strategy is the establishment of rural policing teams. These officers will work closely with a wider group of locally-based people including; special constables, neighbourhood wardens, parish councillors, neighbourhood watch, voluntary groups and others to identify and reduce the root causes of local crime and disorder problems. Contact; Inspector Clive Owen: Tel 01905 723000 ext. 2268.
E-mail: Clive.Owen@westmercia.police.uk

Police forces and Local Authorities may, for example, wish to consider how best to make use in rural areas of Special Constables or of civilian volunteers who could provide help and undertake duties not requiring specific police powers or expertise

The use of neighbourhood wardens is another potential option. The report on neighbourhood wardens, published by the Social Exclusion Unit, suggests that the concept might be successfully employed in rural areas.

This could be a further means to provide an additional and complementary presence in a village or market town. www.cabinet-office.gov.uk.seu/index/pat.htm

The village of Mullion in Cornwall is establishing a neighbourhood wardens’ scheme. Two part-time staff will provide a link between the police, the council, Wardens will work closely with the Youth Service older residents and young people in order to improve community relations.

Contact; Dave Griffiths Govt Office South West, 0117 900 1890.

The targeted policing strand of the Government’s Crime Reduction Programme is designed to develop local policing techniques that can subsequently be expanded across the country. Details are available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/rbinit_2.htm

£40,000 has been granted under this provision for a new integrated strategy to tackle crime and disorder in small towns and villages in Northumbria. This makes use of a range of interventions, including high visibility policing, CCTV, raising drugs awareness and deploying a mobile police station to improve contact with the public.

The project is tackling both localised offending and that perpetrated by travelling criminals. A local multi-agency safety group is developing intelligence about offenders and identifying hotspots.

Contact;Stuart Douglass; tel 01670 533659 or www.northumberland.gov.uk

The Fenland Targeted Policing Initiative recognises the need to address both real and perceived crime problems in a rural area covering three police force areas. The project will focus on repeat victimisation drawing on the Huddersfield work but in a distinctive rural and cross force context. It will provide reassurance by increasing the rate of scene attendance, expand cocoon watch round the newly victimised and explore the existence of virtual communities such as isolated farms.

Contact Chief Supt M J McCormack Kings Lynn Police Station, tel 01553 665039

The Secure Stations Scheme establishes the first ever national standards for station security.

All 3,000 stations covered by the British Transport Police can apply to be accredited. Criteria include:

• trained staff and close-circuit surveillance;

• rapid response in emergencies;

• regular inspection and maintenance;

• better lighting and secure fencing;

• passenger confidence and low crime rates over a sustained period

Contact Insp Smith 0207 830 8994

A way of bringing assurance to rural areas, where police officers have to cover huge distances is being pioneered in Lincolnshire.

A converted camper van tours towns and villages for a two or three day visit. This mobile unit helps to maintain a positive relationship with local residents and can be used to consult residents on current issues. The team of officers work flexible hours and can respond to an early morning parking problem or a late night issue of public disorder.

Further details from Chief Superintendent Peter Davies, tel 01754 614201

Rural areas of Northumberland are benefiting from a mobile police/community safety caravan linked with a portable CCTV system

Contact Chief Inspector Thompson tel; 01434 604111

Around Boston Lincs, gangs involved in illegal hare coursing often intimidate farmers who try and stop them. These ‘races’ are often videod and shown in back street betting clubs. Considerable sums of money change on such occasions. A group of local farmers organised a rota and, armed with a camera and mobile phones, now patrols the area. The evidence provided has resulted in a number of offenders being brought to court.

In Haverfordwest in Dyfed Powys, a large number of special constables and volunteers provide a range of support services to the local police. These include call handling at unmanned police stations, taking details of lost or found property, assisting in the management of CCTV tapes and recording details of driving documents presented for inspection.

Concerned about a decline in shoppers, the market town of Romsey in Hampshire created a Regeneration Partnership. As a member of ‘Action For Market Towns’, Romsey was able to establish a ‘Quality Retail Marketing Consortium(QRM) which resulted in a number of initiatives including a shop watch scheme part-funded by the crime prevention panel. CCTV has also recently been installed.

Contact Christine Cole, QRM Consortium Hampshire. tel 01264 368000

In Wells a strategy to tackle alcohol-related crime evolved as a result of a youth and alcohol conference at which 60 young people met with a wide range of partnership representatives. The resulting action plan addressed many of the key issues raised.

Contact; Becky Tilley, city centre officer tel 01749 341218

PC Andy Leaf tel 01823 363766

Jenny Davies Community Safety Officer tel 01749 343399

Projects to combat youth disorder in the small communities of the Tyne Valley include the Prudhoe Big Bus Project, a mobile youth facility, and a rural transport scheme, which collects young people in the Allendale and takes them to a market town youth centre in Hexam.

Contact George McCreedy tel; 01661832343

A diversionary scheme for young offenders and those at risk of offending, operates in Pembrokeshire. A Course Fishery reduced fees and the business sector provided fishing equipment. The scheme is managed by a police officer attached to the YOT and to date, none of the participants have re-offended.

A project to identify suspect vehicles in remote areas using a Vehicle Recognition System is underway in Northumberland.

Contact; Stuart Douglas 01670 533000

Victim Support in the Cotswolds has developed and published a strategy to raise awareness of Domestic Violence in rural areas. This includes working with BT to place information sheets in telephone kiosks and placing stickers in public toilets

Settle court-house is attached to Settle police station in North Yorkshire. It has been closed as a court since 1994 and was used only for police training on a limited number of occasions since then. The building has now been developed into a learning centre with support from Settle Town Council and North York College .The facility is used by the Crime and Disorder partnership as a means of consulting local people and providing young people with advice on issues such as drugs, etc.

Contact Mick Gains tel 01347 823479

Without the involvement of local residents, few crime and disorder projects are effective in the long term. This is particularly true in rural areas where limited resources and the remoteness of many areas means that a high degree of self help is required.

A wide range of ‘Watch’ schemes abounds in the countryside

All such schemes rely on a committed group of interested volunteers, usually led by a voluntary co-ordinator, willing to record incidents and report sightings to all members and to the police.

Correspondingly, the local police need to tap into this resource and make effective use of the information provided. Most importantly, police officers must feed information back to their sources in order to demonstrate it is being used. This will maintain enthusiasm and generate more information.

Watch schemes may be specific to a particular issue e.g. ‘Poacher watch’ in the Vale of Belvoir or more general to an area such as ‘Horse watch', 'Farm watch’ ‘River watch’ and ‘Country watch’.

Wear & Tees Farm Watch operates in conjunction with the North East Chamber of Commerce Trade and Industry’s ‘Crime free zone’ initiative. Further details from P C Don Luke 01388 603566.