--- title: "Reducing Crime Against Students" type: "pdf" year: "2006" canonical: "/projects/999" --- ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/06-38/img-0.jpeg) Be Safe and Secure, both on and off campus. A Partnership with the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), the North West Institute. the Aberfoyle and Duncreggan Residents Association and the Foyle District Command Unit to reduce crime against Students. # 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. # Table of Contents - [1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.](#1-executive-summary) - [A PARTNERSHIP PROTOCOL](#a-partnership-protocol) - ["To reduce crime against students and staff attending the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), and the North West Institute".](#to-reduce-crime-against-students-and-staff-attending-the-university-of-ulster-magee-campus-and-the-north-west-institute) - [2. DESCRIPTION.](#2-description) - [2.1 Introduction.](#21-introduction) - [2.2 The issue investigated.](#22-the-issue-investigated) - [2.3 Aims.](#23-aims) - [2.4 Objectives.](#24-objectives) - [2.5 Research methods.](#25-research-methods) - [Primary Sources:](#primary-sources) - [Secondary Sources:](#secondary-sources) - [Participants/Sampling:](#participantssampling) - [2.6 Meetings.](#26-meetings) - [North West Institute.](#north-west-institute) - [Foyle District Command Unit.](#foyle-district-command-unit) - [2.7 Mission Statement.](#27-mission-statement) - [2.8 Partnership Aims.](#28-partnership-aims) - [2.9 Partnership Objectives.](#29-partnership-objectives) - [2.10 Results and Analysis.](#210-results-and-analysis) - [2.11 Evaluation.](#211-evaluation) - [Interviews:](#interviews) - [Record Keeping:](#record-keeping) - [Focus Groups:](#focus-groups) - [Questionnaire Surveys:](#questionnaire-surveys) - [Benchmarking:](#benchmarking) - [2.12 Conclusions.](#212-conclusions) - [3. How the philosophy and practice of community policing is integrated into overall service delivery.](#3-how-the-philosophy-and-practice-of-community-policing-is-integrated-into-overall-service-delivery) - [4. How do we use community policing to foster meaningful relationships with, and address the needs of, a diverse community?](#4-how-do-we-use-community-policing-to-foster-meaningful-relationships-with-and-address-the-needs-of-a-diverse-community) - [5. How do we use community policing to foster partnerships in strategic problem identification and problem solving?](#5-how-do-we-use-community-policing-to-foster-partnerships-in-strategic-problem-identification-and-problem-solving) - [6. WHAT HAVE THE POLICE AND OUR PARTNERS LEARNED FROM THIS INITIATIVE?](#6-what-have-the-police-and-our-partners-learned-from-this-initiative) ## A PARTNERSHIP PROTOCOL ## "To reduce crime against students and staff attending the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), and the North West Institute". Force: The Police Service of Northern Ireland, Foyle District Command Unit. Contact: Inspector Milton Kerr, Community Safety. Telephone: 02871210800 or 02871367337. Londonderry is the second largest City in Northern Ireland. Up until now, crime against students and staff attending the University of Ulster (Magee Campus) and the North West Institute has not been a major issue for police. However, due to previous partnerships and the excellent relationship police enjoy with both establishments, it soon became apparent that there was a fear that this would become a problem if nothing were done. The University currently has 3,500 students and the North West Institute has 22,000. It is certain that these figures will increase substantially over the next two years. There are currently around 1,350 students at both establishments who are residents in either halls of residence or private rented accommodation. As a result, a partnership was formed with the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), the North West Institute, the Aberfoyle Residents Association and various other statutory and voluntary agencies. Analysis was carried out to provide information on the issues of concern. This outlined the problems and gave reasons why these were likely to occur. It also gave a range of possible solutions to help identify the objectives set. The aims and objectives agreed by the partnership to deal with the issues were both evidence and research based. These are outlined in full in the attached documentation. An implementation plan was drawn up and the partners agreed to meet on a quarterly basis to evaluate performance and review the protocol as required. To date there has been significant progress regarding implementation. For example: - 'Campus Watch' set up and signage and associated literature obtained. (Funding £2,500). - A 'Neighbourhood Watch' scheme has been set up. - Four Community Wardens to be employed for the area. (Funding $£ 110,000$ ). - A 'Private Landlord Accreditation' scheme is at an advanced stage of development. (Funding £75,000). All the above funding has been secured through applications to the 'Policing with the Community' fund with matched funding from partners. The total amount of funding raised with partners for the protocol objectives to date is $£ 195,900$. # 2. DESCRIPTION. ### 2.1 Introduction. The Foyle District Command Unit's Strategy for Children and Young People, which is part of the local Policing Plan, highlights the fact that young people form the highest proportion of victims of crime and anti-social behaviour. One aim of the strategy is to provide information and assistance to children and young people to help them avoid crime and deal effectively with any crime they experience. As part of this strategy, it was agreed that a partnership would be developed with the University of Ulster, (Magee Campus), the North West Institute and the Aberfoyle and Duncreggan Residents Association to reduce crime and victimisation against students and staff. It was further agreed that other agencies would be involved as required. ### 2.2 The issue investigated. Londonderry is the second largest City in Northern Ireland. Up until now, crime against students and staff attending the University and the Institute has not been a major issue for police. However, due to previous partnerships and the excellent relationship police enjoy with both establishments, it soon became apparent that there was a fear that this would become a problem if nothing were done. This was mainly due to knowledge about the extreme difficulties experienced in the Holylands area surrounding Queens University in Belfast and fear this could be replicated in Londonderry. The University of Ulster currently has 3,500 students and the North West Institute has 22,000. It is certain that these figures will increase substantially over the next two years. There are currently around 1,350 students at both establishments who are residents in either halls of residence or private rented accommodation. ### 2.3 Aims. The aims were: - To develop a strategy in partnership with other interested parties in the Derry City Council area to reduce crime against students and staff at the University and the Institute. - To improve the quality of service provided by the police and enhance relations with students, staff and residents in the surrounding areas. - To increase community confidence and safety. ### 2.4 Objectives. The objectives were: - To use primary and secondary sources to analyse the extent and nature of the issues. - To identify and work with interested parties to develop a protocol to respond to the issues within an initial time frame of one year. - To develop a strategy for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the issues and the responses to them. # 2.5 Research methods. ## Primary Sources: Firstly, It was decided to hold interviews with key stakeholders from the University, the Institute and the police to identify issues of concern and how these could be addressed through a partnership approach. Rather than approach the participants individually, interviews were conducted in a formal primary group. This approach was selected because it would make effective use of time, it would allow for a structured group discussion among the participants and it would facilitate an initial team meeting. Secondly, a number of fact finding/consultative visits took place to the National Crime Conference in Bristol, the National Community Safety Conference in Cardiff and a student Crime Conference in Manchester to look at best practice. ## Secondary Sources: One secondary source was a problem profile prepared by the crime analysts in Foyle District Command Unit, which included: - An overview of crime committed by youths in a specified time. - Youths as victims of crime. - Recommendations for future action. This source was used because it focused on the local area, the information was up to date and it used data from other appropriate secondary data. ## Participants/Sampling: It was initially decided to focus on members of the students' union executive and senior staff at the University and the Institute, The reasons for this decision were that: - These individuals work at a strategic level and have decision-making power, particularly in relation to funding. This would help with the effective implementation of any agreed objectives. - To keep the number of participants at a manageable level, to ensure the effective working of the group. Key police personnel were also identified as participants, namely the District Commander, Community Involvement Branch, Crime Prevention Officers, Youth Diversion Officers and Community Police. Limitations in relation to this sample were evident following initial meetings and as a consequence, the partnership expanded to include: - The Derry City Council Community Safety Partnership Manager. - The Chairperson of Habinteg Housing Association. - The Chairman of Aberfoyle and Duncreggan Residents Association. - The Director of Foyle Women's Aid. - The Manager of Smartmove Housing. - The Manager of Foyle Victim Support. - The Chief Executive of Derry City Centre Initiative. - The District Manager of the Northern Ireland Housing Association. - The Local Councilor and Member of the Derry District Policing Partnership. - The Manager of Derry District Policing Partnership. # 2.6 Meetings. The first meeting of the partnership took place at the Waterfoot Hotel on Friday $6^{\text {th }}$ May 2005. The following persons attended this meeting: ## North West Institute. Mr Calum Morrison, Deputy Director. Ms Elma Brg, Student Adviser. Ms Erin Deery, Student Governor. Mr Denis McLaughlin, Deputy Student Council. Mrs Vera Goodman, Head of Staff and Student Services. University of Ulster, (Magee Campus). Mr Gareth Kennedy, Head of Residential Services. Ms Karan Leonard, VP Education and Welfare. Ms Colleen Dowdall, Site VP. Mr John Hearty, Site VP, Elect. Ms Isobel Smith, Acting Executive Assistant. Ms Clare Kane, International Office. # Foyle District Command Unit. Chief Superintendent Richard Russell, District Commander. Inspector Milton Kerr, Community Safety Coordinator. Sergeant Rosie Thompson, Community Safety Officer. Constable Tim Cooke, Community Involvement Branch. Constable Paul Rathfield, Youth Diversion Officer. Constable Neil Geddis, Youth Diversion Officer. Constable John Wilson, Crime Prevention Officer. At this meeting, Inspector Kerr outlined the desire of Foyle District Command Unit to work in partnership with both staff and students at the North West Institute and the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), to develop a protocol to reduce crime against students and staff in the Derry City Council area. Those present were in full agreement with the proposal. Inspector Kerr then gave a power point presentation on some best practice for reducing crime against students; the information for this was obtained through fact-finding trips to a National Crime Conference in Bristol, the National Community Safety Conference in Cardiff and a Student Crime Conference in Manchester. Mr Calum Morrison, the Deputy Director of the North West Institute, supported the proposed initiative, which he saw as evolving from an existing protocol, "To tackle crime at schools and further \& higher educational establishments in the Derry City Council area". He referred to the number of students that now exist in Derry and his wish to make safer environments for both students and staff balanced with continued accessibility to campuses. It was his believe that this was an excellent opportunity to improve student safety and that the initiative would benefit the Institute, the University and the City in general. He concluded by saying that it was important to have systems in place to ensure that students are provided with information to keep them safe. Mr Gareth Kennedy, Head of Residential Services, Department of Student Support, at the University of Ulster, (Magee Campus), also referred to the "Crime at Schools" protocol which he saw as having been successful. He believed that the proposed initiative would extend this to student safety both on campus and within the city. It was his desire that the student safety issue be looked at strategically and he felt that the initiative was something the City needed to ensure we didn't experience the problems faced in Belfast. Chief Superintendent Richard Russell referred to the development of the Foyle District Command Unit's, Children and young People's strategy and the importance of the North West Institute and the University of Ulster (Magee Campus), featuring in this. It has relevance to the issues of crime, the fear of crime and city centre policing. It is also part of the local policing strategy and will continue to be so for some time. General discussion took place around the following issues: - Should any other partners be included at this stage? - Private Landlords Accreditation Scheme. - Police input into the students' induction week. - Crime prevention advice clinics. - A personal safety week. - A road safety road show. - Terms of reference/mission statement for the initiative. - Personal attack alarms/property marking. - A "Student Survival" joint publication, importance of student ownership. - Planning for different times of the academic year, e.g. induction, rag week, end of term. A second meeting of the partnership took place at Strand Road Police Station on Friday $13^{\text {th }}$ May 2005. Representatives were present from the North West Institute, the University of Ulster (Magee Campus) and the police. A general discussion took place about a mission statement, the proposed objectives and funding. It was agreed that a joint 'Survival Guide' booklet would be researched and prepared for students, but due to the time restrictions, it would not be possible to have this ready for the start of the new academic year in September. Information was given about personal attack alarms for students and property identification kits. It was agreed that an application would be submitted to the Policing with the Community Fund to pay for these. The University and the Institute both agreed to put up $£ 1,000$ each and the police would apply for $£ 4,000$, (a total of $£ 6,000$ to pay for alarms and identification kits for all new students attending Magee and the Institute in September 2005). # 2.7 Mission Statement. The overall aim of the partnership was considered and has been set out in a mission statement as follows: TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CRIMES AGAINST STUDENTS AND STAFF. TO ADDRESS THEIR FEAR OF CRIME SO THEY FEEL SAFE AND SECURE BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS. This mission statement was discussed at a meeting on Friday $10^{\text {th }}$ June 2005 and agreed. ### 2.8 Partnership Aims. The following aims were discussed and agreed: - To raise awareness of crimes against students and staff. (Publicity campaigns are widely used to provide students with crime prevention advice and to ensure students are aware of the crimes occurring where they live and work and when they are at university or Institute). - To introduce students and staff to crime prevention initiatives. (A number of universities/colleges have produced student safety videos, these are often tailored to the individual university and surrounding areas. This is something that the Students Union/action groups or art and design students may consider. A DVD format could be considered, although there may be funding issues). - To develop a 'Campus Watch' scheme. (Similar to Neighbourhood Watch Schemes, but using a partnership approach to educate students and staff. Initiating crime prevention activities to increase awareness of potential crime and to enhance personal safety). - To develop a 'Preferred Route' scheme. (Designed for students to ensure that they follow a set route around the University/Institute campus buildings and Halls of Residence. Can also be utilised around the city centre entertainment areas. Preferred route schemes have been introduced as part of the Government Street Crime Initiative. A reference for best practice is, "Target Walksafe Campaign", Leeds and Manchester Universities). - To target personal safety advice towards International Students. (In 2000-2001, students from countries other than the U.K. who were studying in this country represented $12 \%$ of the student body. Most universities/colleges have recognised the importance of targeting security messages to foreign students on their own websites. However it is important to ensure that local crime prevention messages get across to them as well. One such safety message/safe guide can be found in the student survival guide, "Because it's a jungle out there", Home Office Publication). - To introduce a 'Private Landlord Accreditation Scheme'. (Increasingly used/introduced at universities/colleges to ensure that students have a number of benefits when renting privately owned property, such as- Clear advice on contracts with landlords. Accommodation is of a reasonable and safe standard. An agreement that landlords repair any damage to the property quickly. Students agree to act in a responsible manner in the rented property, showing respect for their neighbours). # 2.9 Partnership Objectives. 1. To raise awareness of crimes against students and staff: - To reduce crime and victimisation against students and staff at the North West Institute and the University of Ulster (Magee Campus). - Quarterly meetings of the partners to take place to evaluate performance and amend or add objectives as required. - Crime analysis to be carried out by the Foyle DCU Police Analysts. This should be updated on a quarterly basis. - To research and develop different methods of providing students and staff with crime prevention advice, information on drugs/alcohol and issues concerning persons residing close to the Institute and the University. This may include: -E-mails and Student Newspapers. -Student Safety Websites. -Advice Packs, (Student Survival Guide). -Text Messages. -Radio Advertising. -Local Radio Station. -Personal contact. - Crime prevention leaflets/posters etc., to be prepared and distributed. - Formal letters on the services available from the Crime Prevention and the Community Involvement Branch to be sent to students and staff. - The Sector Community to appoint a liaison officer to both the Institute and the University as a point of contact for operational matters and problems. 2. To introduce students and staff to crime prevention initiatives: - The Crime Prevention Officers to arrange regular 'Advice Clinics' at the Institute and the University and give Crime Prevention Talks at appropriate times of the year. - The Crime Prevention Officers and Community Involvement Branch to arrange 'Student Safety Forums' on a quarterly basis, bringing together representatives of the Students Union, University/Institute Security, Local authority and Police. - The Crime Prevention Officers to arrange 'Property Marking Days' on a regular basis to include 'Fresher Week'. 3. To develop a 'Campus Watch' scheme. - To liase with students, staff and residents living in the vicinity of the Institute and the University to introduce a 'Campus Watch' scheme. - 'Campus Watch' signs to be designed and printed. - A public launch of the scheme to be organised through the press. - To carry out targeted high visibility patrolling and proactive operations in and around the Institute and the University, based on analytical material, i.e., location profiles/hotspots, modus operandi and time pattern analysis, clearances and offender profile. 4. To develop a 'Preferred Route' scheme. - The Community Involvement Branch will liase with the Institute and the University to identify preferred routes around the campuses and the City centre. - The times of day and days of the week when the scheme should operate will be discussed and agreed. - High Visibility Patrols to cover the preferred routes will be arranged via the Tactical Coordinating Group meeting and a system will be put in place to notify the Institute and the University if and when they are being covered. - Leaflets containing a map of the preferred routes will be designed and distributed to students by Sector Community Police. 5. To target personal safety advice towards International Students. - The Community Involvement Branch and the Crime Prevention Officers will target crime prevention advice at International Students particularly during fresher week in liaison with the International Office. - Community Safety Branch/Minority Liaison Officer will continue to give talks to International Students about the Police and general Community Safety issues. These will include details on registering their stay, emergencies and how to report a crime. 6. To introduce a "Private Landlord Accreditation Scheme". - Police will work in partnership with 'Smart Move' housing agency to develop a private landlord accreditation scheme in the Derry City Council area. The scheme should ensure that it has good links with the Students Union and student support support services at the Institute and the university. The responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the agreed objectives will be shared by the Community Safety Sergeant and the Sergeant in charge of 'A' Sector Community Police. They will jointly arrange and chair the quarterly meetings to review and evaluate performance. The Community Safety Coordinator for Foyle District Command Unit will draw up an implementation plan containing the objectives, requirements and responsibilities of those concerned within a specified time frame. # 2.10 Results and Analysis. It is evident from crime pattern analysis that crime against students and staff is not a major issue at this moment in time, but it is clear from the partners that there is a fear that this will become a major problem if nothing is done, particularly with the increase in numbers of students expected over the next few years. There was therefore agreement among partners that there were issues that needed to be addressed. The primary and secondary research carried out identified the main areas of concern, and provided a range of possible actions, which should be taken to address these issues. These were then translated into the agreed partnership aims and objectives. It was agreed that the partnership would meet on a quarterly basis to evaluate performance towards achieving our goals. At these meetings, the partnership spends time reviewing progress and representatives have the opportunity to comment on their experiences as a result of actions taken. This can be both positive and negative and the partnership can alter or amend the plan to address both success and failure. It was also agreed that the recording of crime against students and staff would be improved and crime pattern analysis provided to the partners at each quarterly meeting. To date the partnership has been relatively successful and there has been significant progress towards achieving its objectives. These successes are outlined below: - All freshers have been provided with 'Safer Student Property Marking Packs' and with personal panic alarms. (Funding £6,000). - Packs for remaining students have now been obtained. - Property marking days held on a regular basis, including 'Fresher Week'. - 'Stay Safe, Stay Secure' booklets have been distributed. - The students Union are currently producing a 'Wise Up' CD rom covering student safety and crime prevention for an urban area. - 'Stay Safe, Stop the Spiker' posters and bottle tops to prevent tampering with drinks and potential date rape supplied to clubs, pubs and the students union. (Funding £2,400). - Crime prevention leaflets/posters delivered to both establishments and regular advice clinics held targeting personal safety advice to all staff and students, particularly international students. - Details of services provided by the police given to students and staff. - 'Campus Watch' signage and associated literature obtained and in the process of being introduced. (Funding £2,500). - A 'Neighbourhood Watch' scheme has been set up by the Aberfoyle and Duncreggan Residents Association to run parallel to the 'Campus Watch' scheme. - Three Community Wardens to be employed for the area around the University and the Institute. (Funding £110,000). - A 'Preferred Route' scheme has been developed by Sector Police for students returning from local venues in the City. - A 'Private Landlord Accreditation' scheme is at an advanced stage of development in conjunction with Smartmove, Habinteg, First Housing Aid and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. This will provide guidelines to landlords on the standard of accommodation and students, as to their activities while in rented accommodation. (Funding $£ 75,000$ ). All the above funding has been secured through applications to the 'Policing with the Community' fund with matched funding. The total amount of funding raised with partners for the protocol objectives to date is $£ 195,900$. # 2.11 Evaluation. The protocol is viewed as an iterative process through time. It is recognised that the decisions taken from analysis, choice of aims and objectives through to implementation will be continually influenced by both external and internal factors. For this reason, regular evaluation is essential. Evaluation will let the partners know if improved performance has been as a result of agreed aims and objectives, but it will also indicate if performance has been adversely affected by other factors. The partnership have considered several methods for gathering evaluation data and recognised their uses and advantages. At the same time, they have recognised some of the limitations and problems associated with some methods. ## Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders provided a rich source of data to identify issues of concern and suggestions for required actions. The need to extend the partnership to other agencies soon became apparent. It was decided to conduct an evaluation of performance at each quarterly meeting, with specific time set aside for this. ## Record Keeping: Crime pattern analysis is essential to illustrate performance regarding the reduction of crime and provide suggestions as to future action. However, it soon became apparent that more detailed information was required to show the impact on the students and staff at the target establishments. ## Focus Groups: Small groups from the partnership have been set up to consider such things as the content for the 'Campus Watch' literature and the development of a CD rom covering student safety and crime prevention. ## Questionnaire Surveys: These will be conducted at a later date to measure the reaction of staff, students and residents to the aims and objectives of the partnership, particularly in relation to performance. # Benchmarking: In this regard, primary research was conducted to look at best practice in other areas and it is the intention of the partnership to continue to compare their practices and performance against accepted standards of quality and excellence. The partnership has considered who should carry out the evaluation, with the key choice being between internal or external evaluation. At this stage, they decided that the evaluation should be conducted internally by partner members. However, consideration is being given to have external evaluation conducted after a period of one year, hopefully by a postgraduate research student at the University. Finally, the partnership has been extremely conscious of the financial impact of their aims and objectives. At this time, salaries for the partner members is not an issue as each agency is committed to the protocol and is willing to provide time for their staff to participate. The group has been extremely successful to date in obtaining funding for many of their initiatives and they will continue to research other means of funding future initiatives. ### 2.12 Conclusions. The main aim of the protocol was to develop a strong partnership to illustrate the commitment of the police to reducing crime against students and staff, and to reducing the fear of crime in general. Monitoring and evaluating performance against the aims and objectives chosen was seen to be crucially important to ensure success over a lengthy period. It is evident from the complementary comments from the students, staff and residents residing in the vicinity of the University and the Institute that the positive actions taken have impacted on all those concerned. # 3. How the philosophy and practice of community policing is integrated into overall service delivery. The philosophy of community policing is recognised across the world as an important approach to enhancing community safety and it has been recognised that this applies to policing in Northern Ireland. It was understood that fundamental changes were required in the structure and culture of the Police Service of Northern Ireland if we were to make the transition from philosophy to operational practice. A policy was introduced which promotes policing with the community as a core function of police activity. It recognises the requirement for a community orientated policing service, which is accountable to the community and adopts a consultative approach. Accountability depends on the transparency of the police, but there is also a responsibility on the community to assist the police. The realisation of the policy was dependent on: -acceptance and commitment by police officers. -adequate, appropriate and realistic allocation of resources. -acceptance, commitment and support of the community. In relation to service delivery, it was necessary to conduct a programme of training to reflect the concept that the Police Service of Northern Ireland exist to serve the community and the various needs of local communities must be taken into account to enable the delivery of a professional, community centred service that is effective, efficient, appropriate and accountable. To ensure community policing philosophy and practice is integrated into the service, a number of questions are continually asked: -are we easy to approach? -do we keep our promises? -are we responsive and sensitive to the needs of the community? -do we listen? -do we follow up calls for assistance to ensure that members of the public have been satisfied? -are we willing to do more than is normally expected? -do we treat people fairly and appropriately? -do we comply with human rights in our practices? -are we meeting the community policing or community safety needs. If we can't meet the needs, who can? # 4. How do we use community policing to foster meaningful relationships with, and address the needs of, a diverse community? In order to foster meaningful relationships with, and address the needs of, the diverse community we serve, our community officers have been empowered to tackle issues raised locally and offer support to their communities. We recognise the importance of creating a sense of joint ownership for addressing crime and community safety amongst members of the community and the police. Community policing uses a problem solving approach, which is structured to make use of community consultation, partnerships and analysis of information. It actively addresses the underlying causes of crime, fear of crime and anti-social behaviour and consequently improves the quality of life for the diverse community in which we live. Partnerships have been set up to develop protocols which address hate crime in relation to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and minority ethnic community. These partnerships, and the actions which have stemmed from our consultation, have greatly enhanced relationships between the police, the groups concerned and the wider community. Neighbourhood Watch Schemes have been developed by community officers to reduce crime and the fear of crime. These have assisted in fostering excellent relationships between the police and the community. # 5. How do we use community policing to foster partnerships in strategic problem identification and problem solving? The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 provides legislative guidance on the establishment of District Policing Partnerships, which are broadly representative of the community. From a strategic point of view, they reflect the local needs and concerns of the community and facilitate problem solving. The main objective of the partnership is to determine, through consultation, community needs and priorities and to promote police accountability, transparency and effectiveness. Other partnerships include local community forums, which include all relevant stakeholders and statutory/voluntary agencies. All these partnerships are geared towards shared or common goals. When problems are identified, the partners problem solve in the pursuit of solutions, which can take many forms, e.g. crime prevention initiatives, education and enforcement, victim support etc. We currently have partners working on sensitive issues like domestic violence, offences against children and young people and other issues that impact on community life including drugs, alcohol and road safety. We are committed to having a shared vision about prevention, identification of problems and the use of information led policing to problem solve. # 6. WHAT HAVE THE POLICE AND OUR PARTNERS LEARNED FROM THIS INITIATIVE? The police Service of Northern Ireland have learned that the partnership approach has been very beneficial for all concerned. The aims and objectives could not have been achieved by any of the partners individually. It is obvious that that for us to achieve the vision of the Police Service of Northern Ireland," Making Northern Ireland Safer for everyone through professional, progressive policing", it is necessary for us to have partners who are willing to share responsibility in our goal to improve the quality of life for everyone. Of course, we also recognise that our officers must be empowered to do the job and in this regard, it is essential that they have the full support of the Command Team. Having effective performance development plans for these officers helps to improve morale and performance. Training and development also helps to change the culture of police officers and educate them in the benefits of community policing. We have learnt that it is essential to chose the right people for community policing as it is their commitment that make initiatives work. There is also a need to obtain a long-term commitment from these officers as the public, and partners, like to develop a relationship with individuals over a period of time. This familiarity helps to develop trust, which in turn supports the concept of "Policing with the Community", and leads to long-term partnerships. Teamwork is essential for any successful partnership and this is particularly important in the Community Policing Teams. Individuals, with all the will in the world, are always going to be less effective. We believe that all our officers must deliver a service to the community in compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Code of Ethics. This is essential if want the community and our partners to trust and respect our actions. To operate in any other way could lead to a critical incident developing in which the confidence of the community is lost. Feedback to victims, and the community in general, is something that we have been inherently bad at in the past. This is a lesson we have learnt, but we still have a lot of work to do to get it totally right. The involvement of the community and partnerships has had a knock on effect in our success in the fight against crime. By becoming more approachable, and fully involved with/integrated into the community, more information is available to the police. This in turn means that our emphasis is now much more on 'information led policing'. We are able to target our patrols and arrange our operations based on crime pattern analysis and increased information from the public. It is a widely accepted belief that the police cannot police without consent. This is very obvious to us since we have developed partnerships. This of course was extremely difficult during the period of the so-called 'Troubles'. Our increased partnerships with other agencies, particularly the Council, Educational Authorities, Housing agencies etc., has allowed us to have considerable influence with them in making changes to the environment and social structure in the area. Landscaping and improved lighting in some areas has reduced anti-social behaviour. Input into the schools and the university has allowed us to educate young people on their social responsibilities and build their confidence in the police. The development of the 'Campus Watch Scheme', the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme' and the employment of Community Wardens have helped us reduce crime and the fear of crime. The partnership has given the residents, students and staff a sense of confidence and undoubtedly improved their quality of life. Our partner agencies have learnt the benefit of a partnership approach. The residents and the students/staff are all very aware of problems, which have occurred in and around the Queens University in Belfast and indeed at many of the major universities in Great Britain. For this reason they are delighted that a proactive approach has been taken by the police in Londonderry. They realise that this type of approach is much more beneficial than being reactive to a problem that has been allowed to develop, not least in financial terms. The commitment of the community officers to the partnership has given the partners an increased confidence in the police and this has been a benefit to all. They have realised that a lot more can be achieved by working in partnership as opposed to in isolation. They also understand the importance of carefully considering what partners should be involved and the value of careful monitoring and evaluation. | Agency | The Police Service of Northern Ireland, Foyle District Command Unit | | :--: | :--: | | Contact Name | Milton Kerr | | Contact Rank | Inspector | | Contact Address | Strand Road Police Station, 81a Strand Road, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT48 7AA | | Contact Phone | 02871367337 / 02871210800 | | Contact Fax | 02871210709 | | Contact Email | milton.kerr@psni.pnn.police.uk | | Website | www.psni.police.uk | | Chief Name | Chief Superintendent Richard Russell | | Chief Address | 81a Strand Road, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT48 7AA | | Chief Phone | 02871367337 |