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Delivering safer neighbourhoods: lessons from the NDC programme
Reducing fear and crime in our neighbourhoods
Scott Dickinson, SQWC and Richard Meegan, EIUA
30 October 2007
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Structure of this presentation
What we did Nature of the problem NDCs’ approaches Interventions and activities Neighbourhood-level change Working with communities and
agencies Implications and conclusions
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What we did
Six case studies Bradford Knowsley Lambeth Newcastle Newham Walsall
Using: Project reviews Data analysis
> Household survey data> Police recorded crime data
Interviews and focus groups July 2006 and March 2007
Plus other research
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Nature of the problem: issues and complexities
Variation in levels of crime and fear of crime
Crime ‘hotspots’ linked to particular geographies or communities
Crimes and the geography of crime change over time
Increasing profile of youth nuisance and ASB issues
Relative vulnerability of younger and older people
Issues relating to drugs and drug dealing
Problems associated with changing populations (particularly where increases in the number of refugee and migrant communities)
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NDCs’ approaches
Evidence Available data Visible issues Less on invisible and unreported
Focus on tackling high levels of recorded crime early interventions
> vehicle crime> property related crime
Tackling the fear of crime resources for
> increased police presence> neighbourhood wardens> CCTV
preventative and diversionary work with young people support to victims and, in some cases, perpetrators of crime flexible use of resources to enable targeting of ‘hotspots’ agency collaboration with a focus on ‘problem solving’ …but emphasis on working within themes
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Interventions and activities
Improvements to local environments and public space
Diversionary activities for young
people
Reactive interventions to
tackle immediate issues, e.g. drug
dealing or prostitution
Crime prevention activities, e.g.
improved street lighting
Reassurance measures, e.g.
wardens, additional police
Support, information and
awareness raising projects
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Neighbourhood-level change
Positive change since the start of the programme Across most reduction in crime and across all reduction in fear of
crime more positive for women than men BME communities saw more positive change for quality of life and
satisfaction with area indicators overall reductions in burglary and theft, but only marginal reductions in
criminal damage in three case studies and reductions in violent crime in only the two London NDCs
Reductions in fear of crime lag behind actual reductions Little evidence that crime has been displaced Evidence benefits extended to surrounding neighbourhoods Linking interventions to outcomes is problematic but local
evidence does suggest some plausible links between them
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Working with communities and agencies
Communities have had an impact by influencing project development
and highlighting issues through engagement in theme groups and projects
Agencies involvement has worked with early engagement in strategic
and delivery work has been beneficial
foci for partnership working e.g. neighbourhood policing, youth diversion and neighbourhood management
multi-agency partnerships for the development of holistic approaches to crime and community safety
Problems have been encountered: difficult to engage young people communities have not always
felt comfortable working with agencies and the police on sensitive issues
need to ensure the safety/ confidentiality of community representatives
tensions between community and agencies’ priorities sometimes resulting in NDCs being 'out of step' with wider strategies and approaches
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Implications and conclusions
NDC resources have 'enhanced' mainstream services
additional services or flexibility in delivery which could be replicated in other neighbourhood programmes
BUT police forces are unlikely in all cases to be able to maintain current levels of service beyond NDC
Safer Neighbourhoods work has focused on prevention, detection and enforcement
less emphasis on restorative justice little evidence of interventions to support the
rehabilitation of offenders Neighbourhoods (c. 10,000 pop.) are an
appropriate spatial scale at which to co-ordinate interventions and address some community safety issues:
crimes against property anti-social behaviour youth nuisance
BUT some issues require interventions beyond NDC and spatial scales
E.g. drug-related crimes which cut across a range of deprived communities
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Implications and conclusions
Community involvement has been critical Communities are a key source of
information BUT they can focus on the visible and
enforcement to the exclusion of the invisible and preventative
Multi-agency partnerships that reach beyond the main criminal justice agencies can provide Valuable intelligence Mechanisms for crime prevention and
project implementation BUT scant evidence the engagement
with the Probation Service or prisons (only Bradford)
AND limited evidence of systematic links with LSPs/LAAs
Demolition and redevelopment might, in the short to medium term, result in increases in crime rates in particular ‘hotspots’
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Implications and conclusions
What we need is a strategic approach based around core themes:
•policing and deterrence
•support to victims and perpetrators
• education and diversion
Based on a flexible “problem solving approach”, complemented by the coordinated delivery of projects.
Community based partnerships have a key role
in working with local communities and can broker and strengthen relationships between communities and
agencies, notably the police.
Communication to residents through newsletters and
consultation through community forums and organisations is vital in
ensuring the vitality of crime and community safety
programmes.
They also serve to raise the profile of interventions and provide safe conduits for residents to provide agencies with intelligence.
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Implications and conclusions
But these are commonly
delivered by third sector agencies and evidence to date shows
these projects are the least likely to be
mainstreamed or attract secure
funding
Projects on education, family
support, youth activities,
community facilities and employment play
a crucial role in instigating the
cultural change required to sustain reductions in crime
levels
An asset-based strategy may not be sufficient to support social
infrastructure projects which are unlikely to be adopted by mainstream
service providers
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Contact
Scott Dickinson
Associate Director
SQW Consulting
t. 020 7307 7152
w. www.sqw.co.uk
Richard Meegan
EIUA
t. 020 7307 7152
w. www.ljmu.ac.uk/eiua
