We will maintain the multi agency Criminal Damage Think Tank to monitor performance and identify solutions. In September 2007 this group successfully drew in £35,000 additional funding from the Home Office to help tackle this increasing problem.
Police and the Council's NES will increase patrols in areas with the highest levels of criminal damage.
Repeat Offenders will be identified and we will use a range of methods alongside of any criminal sanction that may be imposed by the Court:
- Referral to the LIFE Programme ran by the Fire Service
- Support from the Council's Integrated Youth Support Services, via Youth Support Teams
- Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and ultimately an application for an ASBO/CRASBO
The Volume Crime Coordinator based in the ASB Team will identify those arrested repeatedly for incidents of criminal damage and where possible apply for an ASBO or CRASBO to restrict their ability to commit further offences.
We'll work in schools using the Roach project to help young people understand that criminal damage is both serious and costly and to encourage them to report incidents that they witness to Crime Stoppers.
To improve the environment Police officers and Fire officers telephone the ASB Team number 01642 527615 to report graffiti, trainers on overhead cables, broken signs and street furniture and these reportd are dealt with as a priority by Care fot Your Area where possible, using additional resources supplied by the ASB Team. Callers are given feedback on when the issue is resolved so that they can inform community groups.
Working with THL we will set up a system where every council tenant who repeatedly reports criminal damage is visited by a Police officer and a THL officer to look at the details of the call and to ensure that it is authentic. This helps to remove incidents that are accidents and also helps with detections.
We have a dedicated CCTV camera that is sited in areas with the highest levels of recorded criminal damage. We can move this camera around to help us to identify perpetrators of criminal damage
Partnership Working
Responding to reports of damage is important so that residents begin to see the damage created as unacceptable. We will continue to work with the Council's Care for your Area service who can remove graffiti speedoly and with the Probation Service who provide people on community sentences to clean up areas through the Community Payback scheme.
Deliberate Fire Setting
We will maintain and develop work with the Fire Service to ensure that we reduce the risk of delibrate primary fires by ensuring that empty properties are secure and rubbish is removed speedily.