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Neighbourhood Policing - What’s it all about?

• Government drive for Police Forces to deliver the Neighbourhood Policing Programme by 2008

• Relies heavily upon involvement of partners and communities

• Tackle "crime" through to low level anti-social behaviour
• Ask local people what needs to be done to make their neighbourhoods feel safer

What are neighbourhoods?

• Oxford is divided into "neighbourhoods"

• Neighbourhoods are defined by a number of indicators:

  • Levels of deprivation

  • Physical geography

  • Police beat areas

  • Oxford City Council Area Committee boundaries

  • Population levels

  • Local knowledge

but they’re not set in stone….

Neighbourhood categories

• Neighbourhoods are categorised, based on the levels of deprivation in the area

• The categories are:

  • Capable

  • Intermediate

  • Priority

• The size of the Neighbourhood Teams will depend on the grading of the neighbourhood

Neighbourhood Teams

• Each neighbourhood has a Neighbourhood Team

• Neighbourhood Teams are made up of Community Beat Officers, Street Wardens, Police Community Support Officers and others

• They resolve more immediate problems in the area, based on community intelligence

• Police Sergeant manages one or more teams and runs the weekly Neighbourhood Team Tasking meeting

Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGs)

• Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGs) service one or more neighbourhoods
• NAGs have been developed in line with the Oxford City Council Area Committee structure
• NAGs problem-solve their neighbourhoods’ top three priorities on a rolling cycle
• Involve local people in identifying their local priorities and the right solution
• NAGs may request short-term action by one or more of the Neighbourhood Teams in their area

What’s Tasking?

• Tasking happens at two levels:
  • Centrally at the bi-weekly police Tasking and Coordination Group (T&CG) where the Area Commander allocates resources to tackle hotspots across Oxford
  • By the Neighbourhood Team Sergeant, based on community intelligence on local issues affecting the NAG
• Neighbourhood Teams can request more resources from the T&CG

NAG "Go live" criteria

• NAGs can "Go live" once the following criteria have been met:
  • There is a Neighbourhood Team for each neighbourhood
  • The NAG has a multi-agency membership
  • The NAG uses the police National Intelligence Model to ensure there is evidenced based decision-making
  • NAG members have undergone the one-day training course
  • A communication plan has been agreed by the NAG
  • Identification of local organisations and communities has been completed

The first meeting (not "live" yet!)

• Tasks for the NAG at the first meeting are:
  • Sit through this presentation!
  • Agree a chair
  • Who will take the minutes?
  • Do we all understand why we are here?
  • Is the membership right? Are we do-ers and not just interested parties?
  • Membership isn’t about who we represent but whether we are the right people to get things done
  • NAGs can call in experts at anytime to help them problem-solve, so keep the NAG size manageable but regularly review (don’t miss the opportunity for more do-ers!)
  • More tasks for the NAG at the first meeting:
  • Is the NAG boundary right?
  • What do the Neighbourhood Teams look like?
  • How will we communicate - what is available and what do we want to put in place?
  • Who are the organisations/communities in our area we must communicate with?
  • Start to put together a Key Individual Network (KIN), usually local people who you can take soundings from and can spread the word!

What support is there for the NAGs?

• Area Committees can help in overcoming hurdles and maybe a source of funds
• The Oxford Safer Communities Partnership (OSCP) can support at a strategic level and also has some funds
• OSCP has obtained the support of a Neighbourhood Policing communication specialist
• Each NAG has access to a laptop, projector and digital camera
• Area Casework Groups deal with personal data

Area Casework Groups

• If an issue is raised at the NAG that requires discussion of individuals personal details then:
  • A referral is made to the Area Casework Group
  • There are six Area Casework Groups, one for each Area Committee area
  • Area Casework Groups are chaired by the Oxford City Council Crime and Nuisance Action Team (CANAcT)
  • Information exchange is facilitated through information sharing protocols with key partners

We’re "live", so what now?

• Promote your Neighbourhood Team (posters, email…)
• Consult - Ask your communities what their top three concerns are, where and when they’re happening
• You may wish to undertake an Environmental Visual Audit (EVA), using your digital camera to photograph these problem areas
• Experts – invite key people to provide ideas and solutions
• Problem solve – reduce the scope of the problem into manageable tasks

e.g. Anti-social behaviour is not the problem, but…

…noise and intimidation at the bus stop between 7-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, is!

• Local communities - tap into the local community, they often have the answers
• Communicate - constantly inform your communities and KIN what you are going to do and what you have done because…
• A problem isn’t solved until your communities say it is…

then start the process again!

More information…

www.saferoxford.org.uk/neighbourhood.asp

or

Contact your local Police Inspector