WIREDGOV

The initiatives are part of Government plans to provide tough action in 35 areas across the country that are facing emerging challenges in burglary and robbery.

The Vigilance Programme helps deliver pre-emptive support, training and additional resources to those areas. The taskforce has worked with each area to develop a strategy to address emerging issues and has awarded them grants from the £4.4 million fund to implement new action.
Local plans include:

• targeted police operations that follow and film prolific burglars, monitoring vehicles coming and going in high-crime neighbourhoods as well as providing additional officers to monitor known prolific offenders and disrupt stolen goods markets;

• providing help to prevent people becoming victims of crime by handing out free crime prevention devices such as Smartwater marking kits, computer tracking licenses and security advice for people at risk of being burgled; and

• monitoring greater numbers of well known and repeat offenders through the Integrated Offender Management Scheme allowing police, local authority and probation teams to supervise more people and further reduce reoffending rates. Vigilance areas will develop better links between courts, police, councils and prisons to ensure more offenders are being monitored.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:

 “I am determined to stay on the front foot in fighting crime during an economic downturn and there is no sign of crime rising in the way that it has happened in previous recessions.  The Vigilance Programme is just one part of our proactive strategy to tackle crimes like burglary and robbery that have faced upward pressure in previous recessions.
 
“By working in partnership with the Vigilance areas and providing them with the tools and resources they need we can ensure the right action is being taken to tackle the problems that matter most to their communities.
 
“Vigilance will also help us to tighten the net around known offenders and give them two choices – accept our help to rehabilitate yourselves or face the consequences. These areas will develop the new techniques for tackling crime to be shared across the country.”

Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police and Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on the Vigilance Programme, Mick Creedon said:

“By being vigilant in local areas, we can ensure that prolific offenders are monitored and that the movement and onward sale of stolen goods is disrupted.

“Burglary and robbery are crimes that cause considerable distress to victims, and this programme is aimed at tackling offenders, working effectively with partners and better protecting victims through a whole range of tactics and methods.”

The 35 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) were invited to be part of the scheme which is designed to be a pre-emptive approach to preventing early signs of rises in burglary and robbery during the past six months. In the majority of areas the rises are relatively modest and overall crime remains low.

Providing focussed support to these areas will help authorities tackle any emerging issues and develop new techniques for tackling crime which can be shared around the country. The programme of support will last for one year and will then be reviewed.
The areas are: Leeds, Barking & Dagenham, Tameside, Redbridge, Portsmouth, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Peterborough, Derby, Havering, Cambridge, Bradford, Enfield, Waltham Forest, Stockport, Merton, North Lincolnshire, Salford, Croydon, Southend, Calderdale, City of Westminster, Bromley, North East Lincolnshire, Central Bedfordshire, Trafford, York, Wycombe, Basildon, Bexley, Doncaster, Sheffield, Manchester; and Nottingham.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Vigilance Programme, which was launched in July 2009, will offer:

• £3 million for intensive management of released prisoners who have served less than 12 months, to ensure that they don’t stay in the revolving door of re-offending.

• a diagnostic of the burglary and robbery challenges facing the CDRP. Based on this evidence, agreed action plans with the CDRPs will be followed by intensive support to implement the plans.

2. The £4.5 million fund is made up of:

• £3 million to support the implementation of the Integrated Offender Management approach and the intensive management of released prisoners who have served less than 12 months, to ensure that they don’t stay in the revolving door of re-offending; and

• £1.4 million to support action to address specific local issues.

3. The increased supervision of offenders will adopt the Integrated Offender Management approach, which draws together existing programmes, such as Drug Intervention Programmes and Prolific and Priority Offender schemes, allowing more priority offenders to be intensively managed. It has already been pioneered in six areas - Avon and Somerset, Lancashire, London, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire

4. A free advice pack for people concerned about becoming victims of burglary that provides simple and practical advice on what they can do to prevent it is also available. It includes discount vouchers for home security products from B&Q and Focus, a DIY company. To request a pack ring 0800 456 1213.

5. To watch a short video about the Vigilance Programme go to http://www.youtube.com/homeoffice

6. Activity going on in the South East region includes:

• Wycombe – Employ additional staff to increase capacity of its Integrated Offender Management Prolific and Priority Offender Tracker system with a particular focus on burglary and robbery offenders using proactive methods. The additional staff will allow more people to be monitored in a more comprehensive way to identify training, education and employment opportunities as well as reducing the risk of reoffending.

• Portsmouth – Employ additional staff to increase capacity of its Integrated Offender Management approach using proactive methods. The additional staff will allow more people to be monitored in a more comprehensive way to identify training, education and employment opportunities to reduce the risk of reoffending.

7. For more information about activity going on in your area or to a speak to a regional spokesperson call the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535.