The CSP has published a three year violent crime strategy and an associated 12 month action plan. This action plan is updated by all partners to ensure relevancy and full contribution and accountability to the reduction of violent crime. The body of work is focusing around targeting hotpot locations, increase in enforcement and evidence gathering activity against offenders, and the further improved provision of care services for victims to reduce the fear of crime. This delivery is monitored by the Alcohol Harm and Violent Crime Reduction Group to ensure best practice and commitment to reducing violent crime.
Derby city centre has seen a 13.1% reduction in reported alcohol related violent crime incidents since April 2009. This has been achieved through the delivery of a number of key projects to target alcohol related disorder. The main reason for success has been this partnership approach to tackling the issue and the positive attitude of agencies that genuinely want to make a difference to ensure Derby is a safer city in which to socialise
Bar Futures
Following the successful Best Bar None scheme, we have been instrumental in the implementation of the Bar Futures Scheme. The partnership commissioned Bar Futures to work with the Local Authority, Police and the Licensing Trade, to encourage identified licensed premises to identify and to subsequently removing those factors which fuel drunkenness and aggression inside, and in the immediate vicinity outside, bars and clubs. This project not only aimed to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder, but it also gave the opportunity to support the trade in tackling these problems themselves and arming them with the future skills to sustain the knowledge. Rounds of observations were conducted through this project and a total reduction of incidents were observed at the last observation from 4222 to 2491, a 41% decrease. In terms of violence a 38% reduction was observed from 2289 incidents to 1414. Further to this a 38% reduction was seen in terms of triggers to violence, such as drunkenness. The Bar Futures project has been a huge success for partnership working, with a demonstration of best practise and joint successful working and clear contribution from the commitment of the licensees.
Taxi Marshals
Now into their third year, the Taxi Marshals have been a real success story and have undoubtedly reduced the number of incidents of disorder. Key to this has been the very professional attitude by the contractor, who has approached the project with vigour and common sense to ensure conflict is reduced to an absolute minimum. They have been integral to ensuring people are removed from the city centre as quickly as possible and provide a vital link between the drivers and their customers. They are able, through local knowledge of known offenders, to identify trouble makers and take appropriate action to deal with them. The working relationship they have established with the police, Street Pastors, taxi drivers, CCTV control room, and Door Supervisors, has been instrumental to delivery. Comments and feedback has been extremely favourable with one respondent stating it looks like the Carlsberg advert depicting the end to a perfect night out, where all the taxis are lined up down the street!
Street Pastors
The Street Pastors have been responsible for delivering perhaps the key project to assist with alcohol related crime. Up to 40 volunteers work in teams to offer pastoral support to people who are vulnerable through consumption of large amounts of alcohol. They distribute ‘space blankets’ for warmth, flip-flops to prevent cut feet for ladies who remove their heels to walk home, bottles of water to aid recovery, and ‘spikeys’ to help reduce the opportunities for drug spiking of bottled drinks. They link directly with the police and have prevented alcohol related problems developing into large scale incidents. This has led to a reduction in the number of arrests.
Pubwatch
Derby Community Safety Partnership works closely with Derby Pubwatch, (winners of 4 national awards for excellence), and with the Local Authority and Police Licensing Teams to deliver rigorous enforcement of licensing conditions and to encourage responsible retailers through schemes such as Bar Futures and Best Bar None. A recent initiative has been the introduction of Pubwatch Online to bring the sharing of intelligence into the 21st Century.
Headcam Project
Derby police use ‘headcams’ in the city to gather evidence of drunken and rowdy behaviour. The project has so far been a great success with a noticeable reduction in anti-social and threatening behaviour once perpetrators realise they are being recorded. The same equipment is are soon to be provided to the Taxi Marshals, which shows the commitment to partnership working and a keenness to ensure technology is compatible across agencies.
Environmental clean-ups
A clean city centre is vital to perceptions of anti-social and drink related behaviour. As a result, the Street Cleaning team concentrates on removing evidence of the night-time economy, such as take-away food waste and empty bottles and glasses. They work in partnership with the Street Pastors, who collect empty glass vessels during patrols and then deposit them in recycling facilities located in the busiest city centre area. This shows commitment to the cleaner and greener agendas which are important in the overall drive to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder.
The work these projects have achieved has recently been recognised by the 2009 Responsible Drinkers Reatailing awards with Derby Community Safety Partnership winning the Local Authority of the Year, collecting this award from the organisers, the leading drinks industry magazines Morning Advertiser and Off License News at a presentation in London. This demonstrates the dedicated partnership work Derby is achieving and the ongoing progress it is making against city centre violent crime. The Judges praised the authority, commenting “Derby is a model of how local authorities can call time on irresponsible drinks retailing. There’s no doubt that the community safety partnership is helping to protect people in the town from the worst affects of alcohol misuse and creating a safer environment for everyone. They thoroughly deserve to win this national title”
Responsible Drinks Retailing award
Derby has just won the Responsible Drinks Retailing award for the National Local Authority of the Year. This recognises all the work we do in the city to make you safer when you enjoy a night out in the city – and especially the way all of the major public services in the city link up and work together to do this.
