National Community Safety Network Conference

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National Community Safety Network Conference

• Karen Wenzel Alcohol Outreach Practitioner,
  Westminster Drug Project
• A/Sgt Paul Austin - Essex Police
• Rachel Kearn Community Safety Officer,
  Chelmsford City Council

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Chelmsford a snap shot

• Vibrant night time economy
• Licensing capacity of 15,000, often reached on
  Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights
• Large catchment area
• Large student population, Anglia Ruskin
  University 8,500
• Busy train station with a direct link to London
  and bus terminus serving the whole of the county
• Pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants
• Leisure, retail, theatres, cinema and festivals
• Significant future development and public realm
  changes

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Map of Chelmsford
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Chelmsford Crime Overview

• A safe place to live, work and visit
• 94 of respondents feel safe outside in
  Chelmsford during the day
• 71 of respondents feel safe outside in
  Chelmsford after dark
• Majority of crime and disorder generated by the
  night time economy (40 of divisions recorded
  crime)
• Identified pockets of anti-social behaviour by
  youths or street drinkers
• Domestic abuse - alcohol has been a contributing
  factor to a third of all DA incidents

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Chelmsford Alcohol Impact Overview

• Highest percentage of adults in Essex whose
  health is increasingly at risk due to excessive
  alcohol consumption
• 2nd highest in Essex for binge drinking 21.3
  of adults self report this pattern of alcohol use

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Safer Chelmsford Partnerships Key Priorities

• Reducing violent crime
• Tackling anti social behaviour
• Protecting vulnerable people
• Reducing acquisitive crime

Public Health Priorities

• Tackling binge drinking
• Reduce consumption of those increasingly at risk

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Challenges

• Street drinking and the associated crime and ASB
• Binge drinking culture
• Irresponsible drinks promotions
• Large student population
• Popular Wednesday student nights
• Increase in violent crime
• 63 of crimes committed are by people from out of
  Chelmsford

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The Response

• The policing response to the night time economy
  Operation Nightsafe
• Aim to reduce crime and provide a safe
  environment for the public to enjoy the night
  time economy
• Zones
• Early intervention
• Dispersal
• Positive policing response
• Prevention advice and reassurance

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• Nights of Action A Safer Chelmsford Partnership
  initiative providing a high visibility multi
  agency approach to tackle crime and ASB
  associated with the NTE
• Held at key times of the year
• Coordinated emergency services and community
  safety response
• Ambulance triage facility fewer ambulances
  called making a significant saving to the public
  purse (300 each time an ambulance is called to
  transport someone to hospital)
• Accredited patrols
• Each night has a main focus personal safety,
  domestic abuse, mobile phone theft, sensible
  drinking

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• Intelligence Gathering Licensing
• Reinforce Key Messages
• Licensing Visits
• Briefings with Pubwatch Committee Brief key
  issues of the evening
• Partnership working

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Alcohol Outreach Project

• Baroness Newlove funding
• One of the ten areas in the country to achieve
  the funding
• The Alcohol Fund is a 1m project to help
  communities across England tackle alcohol-fuelled
  anti-social behaviour.

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• The Outreach Project offers a free and
  confidential service to
• Dependant drinkers
• Non dependant drinkers
• Binge drinkers
• Pre-detox or post-detox or rehab
• Hazardous and harmful drinkers

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How is it different?

• Outreach
• Assessments
• Brief Intervention
• Advice
• Education and harm minimisation advice
• 11 Key Working
• Referral to group work
• Supported detox/rehab applications
• Continued support for clients released from prison

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What happens?

• Arrest Referral
• Police custody suites
• Magistrates courts
• Crown courts
• Brief interventions
• Liaison with Court Probation Officers

• Prisons
• Assessment
• 1-1 Key Working
• Referral to group work
• Supported rehab applications
• Coordinate support on release
• Tracking individuals who transfer within the
  prison system
• Can accept referrals from other establishments
  country wide
• Supported rehab applications
• Appointments offered for release

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Case Study

• Miss G came to the Project via a Conditional
  Caution following an arrest for shop-theft
  (alcohol). Miss G was instructed to engage for a
  period of three months in order to comply with
  her requirement otherwise the caution would be
  reconsidered and she could be charged.
• After completing a full assessment and attending
  regular key work appointments a connection
  gradually emerged between her alcohol use and her
  eating disorders. Essentially, when Miss G eats
  more she drinks less.
• This has remained the focus of subsequent key
  work sessions and every couple of weeks the
  appointment is held in a local café where Miss G
  is given encouragement and support around
  healthier eating habits.

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Intelligence Led Enforcement

• Essex Police data
• CCTV data
• Partners WDP, Essex Probation (IOM) and Family
  Solutions (Troubled Families)
• Essex Insight
• Ambulance data
• AE data
• Street Pastors data

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Key Facts

• Leading the way UKs first and only designated
  International Safe Community
• Purple Flag Accreditation
• Showcasing Taiwan, LGA and Westminster Briefing
• Education delivered to 3,322 participants
• Bluetooth to your mobile (194 accepted in one
  night at Evoke)
• Safety literature and Taxi App