Tackling Crime and Reoffending

Tackling crime and reoffending

I will do this by:

  • Tackling serious and organised crime including modern day slavery and cybercrime
  • Improving engagement with all our communities to prevent and reduce crime
  • Working with criminal justice and community safety partners on crime reduction initiatives
  • Funding and supporting initiatives that help tackle crime and re-offending through grants and commissioning
  • Continuing to support substance misuse initiatives
  • Rolling out an Early Action prevention based  approach with partners supporting vulnerable people with complex needs
  • Tackling hate crime by encouraging reporting and providing a robust response to offences
  • Promoting road safety with our partners countywide
  • Helping to tackle anti-social behaviour

Tackling crime and re-offending is the core business of Lancashire Police as outlined in its mission to keep Lancashire safe. The ever-changing face of crime in Lancashire and across the country means that tackling crime and preventing offending cannot be done by the police working alone.

We have multi-agency work taking place to tackle significant issues such as sexual exploitation of children, modern day slavery, and cybercrime.

And the public continue to have a significant role to play both through citizens in policing programmes and local watch schemes.

Partners across the public sector are working together in community safety partnerships on a range of initiatives to tackle crime and reduce offending. I have maintained funding for community safety partnerships and they are being encouraged to share best practice and work together on projects to improve local areas.

Tackling serious and organised crime

Lancashire Police has been rated “good” for its work tackling serious and organised crime in the county. In a recent report, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) highlighted the way police work with partners to build up data on organised criminals operating within our borders.

More than 200 organised crime gangs have been identified by police in Lancashire – although only a small number are ever active at one time. By mapping them and sharing data we can disrupt their illegal activities, which has resulted in significant jail sentences being given to members of these organised crime gangs.

Improving engagement with all our communities to prevent and reduce crime

Engaging with communities through a range of communications methods and channels is helping to build local resilience and assist police in their investigations. This area is changing constantly and a digital strategy is in place to ensure the force makes best use of the resources available.

Traditional face to face engagement is now complimented by a range of channels such as email and text alert services, social media and online PACTs. Lancashire’s approach to engagement was praised by the HMIC in a 2016 inspection.

Working with criminal justice and community safety partners on crime reduction initiatives
My office is represented on all of the Community Safety Partnerships across Lancashire, as I want to ensure that my priorities reflect those identified at a local level. I allocated £325,000 to our Community Safety Partnerships right across Lancashire over the last year. This money can be used to deliver projects that help promote community safety in the local area

Funding and supporting initiatives that help tackle crime and re-offending through grants and commissioning

A range of projects across Lancashire have received funding from my office to tackle crime and reoffending. This ranges from grant funding for capital projects to smaller community grants for local schemes.

 

Continuing to support substance misuse initiatives

I have provided funding for substance misuse services that are commissioned by our local authority partners in Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen. These services provide support to substance abusers.

Rolling out an Early Action prevention based approach with partners supporting vulnerable people with complex needs

Early Action in simple terms is prevention. Lancashire is pioneering ways of working including use of innovative ways of working and developing a volunteer partnership to help provide lasting support to individuals who need it.

Early action works by providing support and help to people who may be on the cusp of crisis or engaged in minor criminal behaviour associated with their daily lives, and preventing them getting into more trouble. Interventions range from counselling and support, to providing volunteer and wrap around support. Research has shown that late intervention by police and justice services is not only more costly in the terms of cost of prosecuting people, it also can lead to missed opportunities to improve lives.

Tackling hate crime by encouraging reporting and providing a robust response to offences

Hate crime is a key priority of mine and my office and the constabulary have worked together with partners across Lancashire to develop a wide-reaching campaign #saynotohate. The campaign aims to challenge behaviours that can encourage hate crime, encourage third party reporting and highlight support available to victims. Hate crime services are a key part of Lancashire Victim Services and work to highlight hate crime incidents as well as providing support to victims.

Promoting road safety with our partners countywide

Road safety issues and an increase in road casualties mean a renewed focus on road safety for my new plan.

Helping to tackle anti-social behaviour

Community Action Fund grants of up to £2,500 are available to help grass roots projects work on tackling re-offending along with the other police and crime plan priorities. Local groups and community safety partners are key to tackling anti-social behaviour in local areas.

 

Reducing Reoffending Fund

Reducing Reoffending Boards