--- title: "Dont Do Damage" type: "pdf" year: "2008" canonical: "/projects/653" --- ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/08-26/img-0.jpeg) PS Andy Cartwright # Scanning: $>$ Division suffering increasing levels of Criminal Damage. 7460 offences committed between 01/01/06 - 01/01/07 $>$ Buildings and motor vehicles targeted $>476$ youth offenders brought to justice previous eighteen months $>$ Policing priorities set by local communities revealed a consistently high level of perception between criminal damage in the community and youth nuisance $>$ Significant increase in criminal damage offences committed by young people that reach the age of eleven years $>$ No formal education package exists to deliver key messages discouraging young people engaging in acts of damage $>$ Lack of structured engagement between schools and local NHP teams # Table of Contents - [Scanning:](#scanning) - [Analysis:](#analysis) - [Response:](#response) - [Assessment:](#assessment) - [Scanning:](#scanning) - [Analysis:](#analysis) - [Response:](#response) - [Assessment:](#assessment) ## Analysis: $>$ Criminal damage increases communities fear of crime $>$ Criminal damage accompanies environmental decline $>$ Environmental decline encourages acceptance of criminal damage within a community $>$ Young people fail to recognise that acts of criminal damage leave a victim ## Response: $>$ Partnerships secured with 105 Divisional primary schools to support the initiative $>$ Community Safety Partnerships agree to financially support initiative $>$ Product branding developed $>$ Supporting merchandise purchased to support and reinforce $>$ Lesson plan developed by Youth Involvement Officers, based around recognising acts of criminal damage and the impact this has on the community, environment and consequences to young people $>$ Coordination and training of NHP teams including CBM's and PCSO's to deliver lessons into primary schools targeting year 6 students $>$ Lessons delivered prior to school summer holiday to increase impact of initiative on the natural increase in criminal damage and youth nuisance over that period $>$ Students supplied with 'Don't Do Damage' stationary and encouraged to discuss their lesson and create work that reflects their understanding $>$ Partnership secured with local libraries to display the students work and further promote the initiative within communities ## Assessment: > 'Don't Do Damage' lesson delivered to approximately 2200 year six students in the Division since the initiative started in June 2006 $>34 \%$ reduction in youth offending of criminal damage since the initiative began $>76 \%$ reduction of offending in criminal damage by the target audience of eleven year old students $>$ Continued annual delivery will capture 3000 year six students per year > 'Don't Do Damage lesson reinforced in 'CHOICES' lessons in year 7, assessment of knowledge retention and student attitudes towards damage assessed at by student feedback Structured diary of engagement between Neighbourhood Policing Teams and schools established # Scanning: "Don't Do Damage" is a multi agency initiative aimed at tackling the increasing trend in young people committing acts of criminal damage in the community. As part of the Pennine Divisional action plan to tackle and reduce criminal damage a number a key issues and strands were identified. One of the strands identified was the relation between youth nuisance and criminal damage offending. Research of Police crime statistics for the Division show an increasing trend in criminal damage offences since 2004, with the majority of offences targeted against buildings and motor vehicles. In the twelve month period January 06' - 07', Pendle Division suffered 7460 offences of criminal damage. Scanning of neighbourhood policing priorities which are set monthly by local communities as part of PACT (Police and Communities Together) showed that there was a high community perception between increased levels of youth nuisance and increases in acts of criminal damage in those areas identified. In the 18 months prior to the scanning there had been 476 young people who had been brought to justice for committing acts of criminal damage through a number of different disposal methods within the Division. After analysis of Police data it was noted that the number of youth offenders increased considerably between the ages of 10 and 11 years (year six students). Offending increased in the eighteen months prior to the initiative from 17 youth offenders age 10 to 72 youth offenders aged 11. The general pattern of offending continued to increase through to the age of 16 . Consultation with the Divisional Youth Involvement officers showed that although local Neighbourhood Policing Teams had good links with local schools that there was no focused or structured engagement between the Divisional Neighbourhood Policing Teams and local schools tackling and delivering key messages around criminal damage. Although Youth Involvement Officers (YIO's) touch on this subject within 'CHOICES', a County educational program covering a wide range of topics delivered into all secondary schools by YIO's. There was no structured education package delivered into Primary schools whose pupils contained the key age area, 10 11 years identified above. # Analysis: ![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/08-26/img-1.jpeg) The problem analysis triangle shows a wide range of locations that criminal damage effects within the communities, including both public and private property. It also highlights the noticeable increase in youth offending when young people reach the age of 11 years old. Victims vary from owners of property to the environment and in turn the consequences this has on the whole community. $>$ Criminal damage accompanies environmental decline within communities $>$ Criminal damage and graffiti encourages a culture of acceptance of environmental decline $>$ Signal crime including criminal damage and graffiti increase community fears of crime $>$ Younger people may fail to recognise that causing criminal damage and graffiti to property creates a victim in every case and has a financial consequence # Response: The long term response considered would involve the delivery of a formalised education package being delivered in a constructive and engaging way to all year 6 students within the division. Key messages and themes would be threaded into the lesson with open discussion encouraged around those key areas. The emphasis would be around identifying what criminal damage is, and what it looks like in their communities, schools and neighbourhoods. The lesson would also bring to the fore front the consequences this will have in each of these topic areas. Woven throughout would be the simple equation that any form of criminal damage creates at least one victim, with most creating multiple victims and the associated financial costs. It was decided that although Youth Involvement Officers would be the natural choice to deliver the lessons, that Neighbourhood Policing Officers, consisting of Community Beat Managers and Police Community Support Officers would be used for this function. The rationale behind this had many benefits. Delivering these lessons would provide an invaluable opportunity for local Neighbourhood Officers to visit schools on a regular basis with a constructive aim and become a part of the children's school life. This again would enhance partnership working between local schools, teachers, parents, students and Neighbourhood Officers and provide the opportunity for police engagement with young people in a non-confrontational environment at an early age. The timing of these deliveries was also crucial. It was thought the lesson would have most impact if delivered just prior to the school summer holiday period as this is a period that most communities suffer higher than normal levels of youth nuisance and criminal damage. As we were targeting 11 year old children and above, this is the point that this age group move from their primary education to secondary school. If young people can be educated on the cause and consequences of criminal damage at this age then these benefits would be taken into their adolescent years. To fully engage young people in the initiative, once they had their input from the local Officer, they would be invited to create their own work based on the themes they had discussed and covered. This work would then be displayed in local libraries within their communities encouraging them into libraries during the summer holidays and involving their families and peers in the work they create. The publicity also promoted the initiative to the community as a whole. There are 105 primary school establishments containing approximately 3000 year six student, split across three Boroughs within the Division. Youth Involvement Officers began contacting the schools in their areas and canvassed support for the initiative. What was done? $>$ The three borough Community Safety Partnerships agreed to financially support the project $>$ Local primary schools agreed to allow curriculum time for Neighbourhood Officers to visit schools and deliver the lesson. Teachers also agreed to support the lesson with further discussion within the classroom and encourage the students to produce their own work based on the topics they had discussed $>$ 'Don't Do Damage branding was developed in partnership with the Burnley Council graphics department $>$ Stationary merchandise was sourced, purchased and produced including pens, pencils, bookmarks, rulers and colouring pencils each with the 'Don't Do Damage' branding on the products $>$ A series of posters and crime prevention leaflets were developed using the branding which were displayed in criminal damage hot-spots, community buildings, retail outlets and schools. Crime prevention leaflets were distributed through schools and by Neighbourhood Officers in areas which suffered increases in criminal damage $>$ Neighbourhood Policing Officers were given a lesson plan and supporting materials developed by Youth Involvement Officers which delivered strategic key messages around criminal damage, its effects on the community, the environment and the consequences to young people who may engage in such activities. Running through the lesson was the continued theme that all criminal damage left a victim and possible financial implications $>$ Lesson were delivered by NHP teams, merchandise distributed and students encouraged to create their own work $>$ Students work was collected and displayed on boards and screens in libraries local to each participating primary school $>$ 'CHOICES' program restructured to incorporate the 'Don't Do Damage' reinforcement lesson and was delivered into the Divisional secondary schools at year 7 level $>$ Local media strategy was developed by both the Police media officer and Community Safety Partnership press officer to promote the initiative across the communities in the division # Assessment: 'Don't Do Damage' was aimed at educating young people in the harmful effects of engaging in act of criminal damage, it's impact on the community, environment and the consequences to themselves. As a result of the coordinated approach between Neighbourhood Poling Teams, Local Education Authority and the Community Safety Partnerships, the package was delivered to approximately one thousand students of year six age in the first year, June to July 2006. Lessons learnt from the first year showed that although all 105 schools agreed to provide the opportunity for initial input and follow up lessons by the teaching staff afterwards, that time constraints and an already full timetabled curriculum left this unachievable in certain schools. During the following summer term, June to July 2007 a more coordinated approach was taken with Youth Involvement Officers opening dialogue with schools earlier in the year. As a result the delivery in the second year achieved a take up of approximately 2200 students throughout the Division. Prior to Neighbourhood Officers delivering the lesson, Youth Involvement Officers held training days with the officers to share best practice, discuss problems found with the lesson in previous years and provide officers who had not been involved the previous year with guidance on delivery and ensuring key messages were given whilst allowing officers to tailor the package to each local community. This will now continue with an annual input given to Neighbourhood Policing Officers by Youth Involvement Officers to share best practice and further develop the lesson plan ensuring topical themes are included. The third year of the project, June to July 2008 will achieve its 100\% target of delivery to every year six student, approximately 3000 children. The lesson will be reinforced as the students reach year seven through the 'CHOICES' package which has been adapted to included a 'Don't Do Damage' refresher. This will also give an opportunity to access the student's knowledge retention and attitudes before and after the deliveries with a twelve month gap built in. The Youth Involvement officers have produced a feedback sheet to enable this assessment to be documented. This project has now become an integral part of the functions carried out by and expected of the Neighbourhood Officers. This means that around six thousand students a year are given either their first 'Don't Do Damage' presentation in year six or receive their reinforcement lesson in year seven. By the summer of June to July 2010 this will mean that every child in secondary school education will have had the benefit of both lesson inputs. As compared with the eighteen months prior to the initiative starting, the preceding eighteen months show a significant $34 \%$ reduction in offending by young people age sixteen or below with the most dramatic reduction of $76 \%$ in the initial target age group of eleven year olds. This has helped to achieve a Divisional reduction in criminal damage 01/01/07 to 01/01/08 of $18.5 \%$. ![img-2.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/08-26/img-2.jpeg) Michael Cunningham Deputy Chief Constable Lancashire Constabulary HQ, PO Box 77, Hutton, Preston, Lancs. PR4 5SB Telephone: 01772 412206; Fax: 01772 614916; E-mail: Michael.cunningham@lancashire.pnn.police.uk 22 April 2008 Rob T. Guerette, Ph.D School of Criminal Justice Florida International University University Park, PCA 366B 11200 S.W. 8th Street Miami, FL 33199 Dear Rob The Herman Goldstein Award 2008 Pennine Division – Don't do Damage! I am delighted to personally endorse and forward the attached entry in respect of this year's Herman Goldstein Award. I look forward to hearing from you in due course. Should any of the Lancashire submissions be successful in these awards I would be grateful if I am the first point of contact for the Force. If you have any enquiries regarding this application please do not hesitate to contact my office on the telephone number shown. Alternatively, you may wish to speak with Chief Inspector Richard Blackburn, in the HQ Neighbourhood Policing Implementation Team, who is co-ordinating these competition entries on the force's behalf. Richard is available on telephone number 01772 413570. Yours sincerely Michael Cunningham Deputy Chief Constable