Report

Impact and Insights Report 2020/21

VISIBLE IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES AND POLICING

case study

Police Constable Paige Holloway,

National Graduate Leadership Programme Participant, Derbyshire Constabulary.

The problem:

In January 2020, there was a drug-related murder which generated a significant amount of interest in my community.

The approach:

I launched an operation which aimed to reduce the supply, sale, and purchase of drugs in my community. In the early stages of the operation, I made the decision to combine traditional neighbourhood policing with a CID approach, as previous warrants conducted by the neighbourhood team had been successful in disrupting specific nominals, but less so in reducing the overall supply and demand of drugs in the community.

I contacted the Detective Sergeant on the Tactical Crime Team for support on how to run a higher-level investigation within the neighbourhood team in order to ensure I was able to efficiently pursue the identified nominals through the use of new investigative techniques and tactics.

The investigation identified an extensive cocaine market which highlighted the requirement for the provision of additional support for drug users in the community. I was able to identify the primary age range that drug users began using illegal drugs which allowed me to initiate the commission of more preventative work, in addition to work which supports current drug users.

The impact:

My operation led to the execution of five simultaneous warrants involving over 100 police officers and the charge of ten individuals. As a result of the operation, a targeted Crimestoppers campaign was funded which has led to an increase in intelligence regarding drugs and trafficking. Calls for service have also decreased and we have received positive community feedback.

I have also maintained a positive working relationship with the Tactical Crime Team Detective Sergeant and have been able to share my learnings with colleagues, by assisting with their separate enquiries and investigation plans into drug supply.

Additionally, this operation has led to my secondment to a new team which targets criminality that poses a high risk of harm to the community. Through this opportunity, I will be able to share my experience with officers from other areas of the constabulary as well as advance my personal development through continued work under the supervision of a Detective Sergeant.

case study

Police Constable Sami Halepota,

National Graduate Leadership Programme Participant, Surrey Police.
Winner of the Tilley Award: Police Now and Student Officers Category 2021.

The problem:

I became aware of repeat drug-related anti-social behaviour in a local estate and local youths being harassed. Investigating this further, I identified two criminal youth peer groups operating in the area, led by several adults with potential links to county line drug dealing, firearms and violence. Children from one of these groups were scared to leave their houses due to the threats and harassment they were experiencing from the rival criminal peer group. This was a deprived area, and the children in both criminal peer groups had learning disabilities and mental health issues.

It became clear that what had initially appeared to be low level anti-social behaviour and drug use on the estate was actually the visible tip of a much larger underlying problem involving Child Criminal Exploitation. The high risk involved had not previously been flagged on police systems for reasons including: a distinct lack of reporting and confidence in the police among the local community, poor evidence and isolated anti-social behaviour incidents being classed as “low risk”. As a result, I was motivated to address the root cause of the issue.

The approach:

Calls and visits were conducted to all residents reporting anti-social behaviour in the estate to provide reassurance and gather information. Multi-agency meetings were held between Children’s Services, the police and partner organisations to aid with intelligence gathering and information sharing. The adult offenders were targeted using innovative tools such as Child Abduction Warning Notices (CAWNs) and tailored use of anti-social behaviour legislation was used to both restrict criminal activity and actively safeguard the youths at risk of exploitation. In addition, support was offered to vulnerable children and their families.

The impact:

Since July, we have not had reports of any further offences by either of the criminal peer groups.

We are no longer receiving reports of harassment and no further significant concerns have been raised to the police or Children’s Services. Through the joint work of all involved, relationships have been built between the community and partners and we have open communication channels for ongoing support.

Additionally, there has been nearly a 50% reduction in overall anti-social behaviour on the estate, compared with a 5% reduction in the surrounding town.

Lastly, to ensure sustained impact, there are civil orders in place for key offenders and set policies and procedures prepared with partner agencies. This means that should the youth or the criminal peer groups come to attention again, police action will be much more effective and efficient.
Commenting on Police Constable Halepota’s work in Surrey Comet , Chief Inspector Mark Offord said:

“This was a holistic problem-solving approach, delivered in partnership with other agencies but driven by Police Constable Halepota when he was in his first year with us on the Police Now scheme. The operation has led to lasting change with a significant reduction in crime, and in delivering this, Police Constable Halepota demonstrated a level of performance far beyond that which we would expect to see at his level of experience1

case study

Police Constable Maria Redgwell,

National Graduate Leadership Programme Participant, Kent Police.

The problem:

The anti-social use of motorbikes, quad bikes, and dirt bikes, has become a recurring and deeply entrenched problem across both the urban and rural areas of the Dover District. This has adversely affected the local community who have been repeatedly blighted by the behaviour of these motorists, and who were yet to see any significant proactive and long-term solutions to this problem.

The approach:

In order to improve communication and engagement, a bespoke guidance poster was produced to encourage residents to report the anti-social use of motor vehicles, and to ensure they were educated on what information to provide when doing so. Initially this was shared across our social media channels, but through further partnership working with Dover District Council and the Community Safety Partnership, this poster was produced as a metal sign and displayed in 20 hotspot areas across the Dover District. The response plan also included frequent social media engagement, days of action involving specialist policing teams, regular patrols of hotspot areas, speed enforcement patrols, and exploring long- term solutions by utilising a multi-agency problem-solving approach alongside Dover District Council.

The impact:

Between April and August 2020, we issued a total of 32 Section 59 Warnings, seized six vehicles, issued nine Community Protection Warnings, issued 13 traffic offence reports for speeding, and made one arrest for theft of a motor vehicle. There was a 45% decrease in nuisance vehicle reports in July 2020 and a 35% decrease in nuisance vehicle reports in August 2020, compared to the reports we received in April 2020 (before enforcement work began). Alongside this, recent reports have contained the key information that is needed for the police to pursue enforcement action which would otherwise have been unachievable.

To build on the success of this work, discussions are ongoing with Dover District Council about long-term solutions such as the utilisation of noise barriers in the form of tree-lines, and the development of an off-road motorbike circuit to provide those with a passion for the sport a safe and legal way to enjoy this, away from residential areas.

This work was featured in articles by Motorcycle News, one of the largest news sources in the world for biking, as well as Kent Online2. and the Hawkinge Gazette which highlighted our multi- agency response and results to national and international audiences. The coverage of this work has been positively recognised by those who use motorbikes legally and legitimately, as well as by our local communities.

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FOOTNOTES

  1. See Surrey Comet article.  ↩

  2. See Kent Online article.  ↩

Devon & Cornwall Police

Police Now | Devon & Cornwall Constabulary
cc-shaun-sawyer

Shaun Sawyer

Chief Constable

National Graduate Leadership Programme

Cohorts: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
No. of police officers enrolled: — — — 8 — —

National Detective Programme

Cohorts: —— —— —— —— 2019 2020
No. of police officers enrolled: — — — — — —

Case studies:

Visit the Devon & Cornwall Police website www.devon-cornwall.police.uk