Community Focus Weeks

In 2007 Weeks of Action were introduced by the Home Office in a concentrated effort to reduce crime, its primary aim, to improve the highest priority Community Safety Partnership (CSP) areas nationally of which 44 had been identified.

Plymouth is not one of these areas, but sits just outside the 44 and so has instigated Weeks of Action as being good practice. However in Plymouth they have recently been re-named Community Focus Weeks.

Community Focus Weeks are brief periods of partnership activity in specific, usually small areas. The aim is to reduce crime and make people feel better about the area in which they live, whilst also planning for sustainability.

This is done through a phased approach:

• Firstly engaging and consulting with the community
• Then creating and understanding of what Community Focus Weeks entail, involving the community during the activities as well as the media
• And finally, supporting these communities during and after the process

The aims and objectives of these Community Focus Weeks are:

• To reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
• Improve public perception and reduce the fear of crime by involving the community and the media from the outset, which will generate positive local responses and good news stories
• Reclaim communities by dealing with issues such as rubbish, graffiti, cleaning up areas so that they are easier to maintain and by tackling, and being seen to tackle 'problem families' to restore pride in communities
• Create networks and partnerships by bringing together and improving knowledge and understanding between partners and other agencies
• Give hope and pride by involving the community and improving the environment by tackling issues such as rubbish, graffiti and anti-social behaviour this can empower and renew hope and pride in the community

To date 16 Community Focus Weeks have taken place in Plymouth:

• Devonport
• Barne Barton
• North Prospect
• Honicknowle
• Plympton
• Whitleigh
• Plymstock
• Mutley
• Stonehouse
• Estover
• City Centre
• Greenbank
• Southway
• St Budeaux
• Stoke

These were identified through the crime strategy groups as being those with high crime rates. Local issues had also been identified through public consultation by way of Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings, questionnaires and postal surveys.

Issues included:

• Anti-social behaviour
• Anti-social noise
• Parking
• Speeding
• Criminal damage including graffiti
• Underage drinking
• Drug issues
• Personal property security
• Lack of facilities for teenagers in some areas
• Plymouth is also a strategic base for the armed services and so a number of young people required careers advice with regard to entering the armed services

The Community Focus Weeks were a catalyst of many imaginative initiatives co-ordinated by the Community Safety Partnership to tackle the wide variety of issues.

Initiatives such as:

• Home fire safety checks by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue
• Area tidy-ups including removal of graffiti and litter by Plymouth City Council (PCC) Street Cleansing and the Safer, Cleaner Streets Team
• Advice to dog owners by PCC dog warden
• Crime prevention advice given, packs handed out
• Home security checks by Homesafe in which items were fitted free of charge to improve home security
• Health services met with residents to give advice on a wide variety of issues such as stopping smoking, sexual health and basic first aid
• Cycle security marking
• A pro-active multi agency approach to tackle anti-social behaviour
• Assistance of the Probation Community Service Team in area clean ups
• Scooter/moped/motorcycle awareness training with police supported by PCC and local motorcycle outlet
• Focused high visibility policing and community engagement by area neighbourhood teams
• Test purchasing – sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 years of age
• Youth consultation by the armed services, the Fire Service and Police
• School speed watch
• Football coaching by Plymouth Argyle.

Evaluation of Community Focus Weeks

Lessons have been learnt regarding what works and what doesn't and each area has completely different needs in Barne Barton we concentrated on the substance misuse problem whereas in North Prospect the community’s biggest concern was anti social behaviour and in Plympton low level anti social behaviour and speeding, in all areas the PACT priorities were incorporated into the weeks activities and successfully addressed.

• All the areas involved have all reported on the improved relations between the local neighbourhood police team and the young people
• There has been a noticeable increase in the feeling of reassurance by residents which is supported by a reduction in reported crimes in some areas during these weeks compared to previous years
• There is no doubt that visible improvements to the areas as a result of the clean up operations and the increased high visibility police presence for the Community Focus Weeks further lowered the fear of crime and raised public reassurance in these areas.

Certainly, these Community Focus Weeks have been a great way for individuals within various agencies to make good contacts within other organisations and gain a greater understanding of their purpose. Positive letters have been written to the local press from the community praising the enforcement and clean up aspects of the week.

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