Newsletter – September 2024

More than 100 people have been referred to a scheme helping to repair the damage they have caused to local communities by anti-social behaviour.

The Immediate Justice Team, which sits within the Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, has helped to facilitate more than 380 hours of community improvement work across the county since December 2023.

This work has been carried out by people who have been referred to the scheme by Police Officers and PCSOs after committing offences such as criminal damage, being drunk and disorderly, harassment and causing a public nuisance.

The Immediate Justice scheme sees those who have carried out low-level crimes swiftly and visibly pay for the damage they have caused. People who have been dealt with, carry out reparative work such as litter picking, removing graffiti, and repairing public property, instead of being charged through the courts for their crimes.

Of 108 referrals to the Immediate Justice programme:

• 79 have completed their penalty, with a further 16 pending
• Nearly two thirds were referred to the scheme because of drug possession
• Most people to take part were men
• Most were aged between 18 and 24
• 13 have refused to take part and will be referred to the arresting officer

Starting from mid-September, young people aged between 13-17 can now also be referred to the service and complete community improvement work.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said she believes the success of the scheme so far reinforces that anti-social behaviour must be taken seriously.

Danielle said: “People want to feel safe in their communities and anti-social behaviour can have a hugely negative effect on how safe people feel. I want residents’ concerns to be taken seriously and for them to feel confident that Police are tackling the issue head on. This scheme means anyone who inflicts this kind of behaviour in our communities will face swift and visible action.”

Deputy PFCC Marianne Kimani joined them, with local PCSOs and Dan Pickard, Centre Director of Willow Place on their visit. On a walk around the town, the group discussed the positives of working together to tackle growing retail crime, and how the work could continue to create a preventative community that comes together to make criminals feel unwelcome.

Danielle said about the visit: “Corby is a large and growing town, and it was especially important to me to speak with local retailers. Good partnership work is taking place already and today’s meeting helped me to understand that, and to hear from businesses what else needs to happen to make the town safer.”

On the Southbrook estate, the partners are running a scheme called Operation Fragment, which has helped to reduce levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.

A visit to the town centre also demonstrated the importance of working together to tackle issues such as retail crime. Danielle and Ivan walked the town centre with local PCSOs and the town council’s Town Ranger, whose close working relationship is helping tackle crime more efficiently.

Danielle and Ivan heard about local concerns over county lines drug dealing, which is a growing issue due to the major connecting roads that run past the town. Micki explained how ANPR is helping to tackle the issue.

Danielle and Ivan then met with local farmers in the neighbouring village of Evenley, who also expressed their concerns about growing drug use in their rural community and dangerous driving on the roads. Danielle said: “It’s important that I understand what is happening in our rural areas so that I can ensure my upcoming Public Safety Plan focuses on keeping people safe wherever they live.”

Both Danielle and ACC Adam Ward pledged their commitment to strengthening engagement with the local policing team. During the visit, Adam said: “Northamptonshire Police is absolutely committed to community engagement, crime prevention and problem solving – if we get that right, it increases our ability to make neighbourhoods safer.”

Adam also encouraged people to sign up to Northamptonshire Talking, an invaluable communications tool for local engagement.

The scheme offers grants of between £3,000 and £10,000. Projects need to help support in the delivery of some of the Commissioner’s main safety priorities – prevention and early intervention, tackling anti-social behaviour, reducing offending and putting victims at the heart of justice.

Grants have been awarded to community groups that have helped deliver educational sessions. Among those to benefit from funding earlier this year was the Carry A Basketball, Not a Blade scheme, which is run by Basketball Northants.

It received £6,000 towards expanding the rollout of its classroom-based sessions, which teach children about the misconceptions around knife crime when it comes to self-defence and personal protection.

Offering grants of up to £3,000, this scheme helps fund smaller projects which form part of the Commissioner’s upcoming Public Safety Plan, formerly known as the Police, Fire and Crime Plan.

One recent recipient of a Small Grant is the Doddridge Centre, a not-for-profit group operating in the St James area of Northampton which runs a Youth Club for young people aged between 8-14.

Following incidents in a local park involving knives earlier in the year, the Doddridge Centre applied for £2,926 to help contribute towards the cost of an additional Youth Worker at the club. The youth workers help to run inclusive activities for young people and raise awareness of knife crime and drugs, ensuring they are taught key skills in how to manage potentially unsafe situations.

Supported by the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance (NSRA), grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available for initiatives that support road safety priorities.

This includes speed reduction, anti-social road use, drink or
drug driving, educational initiatives that lead to positive behavioural change on the roads, and projects that improve road safety near schools.

Since the start of the 2024/25 financial year in April, this grant pot has awarded nearly £60,000 to local parish councils and schools to improve road safety. This has helped fund both the purchase and installation of vehicle activated speed signs, signage and various other traffic calming measures.

Danielle said she is keen for community groups and not-for-profit organisations to take any opportunity they can to access these funding streams and help improve safety across Northamptonshire.

She said: “When I visit towns and villages in the county, the residents are telling me that they want to feel safe in their own communities. They want young people to have services in place that can help divert them away from crime, they want them to feel safe on the roads in and around their schools or in their local parks.

“I have been truly inspired by the projects and initiatives that community groups are running. I want all of them to consider whether they can utilise the grant schemes I am offering to help continue and grow their initiatives.”

Find out more about the grant schemes by visiting: northantspfcc.org.uk/our-work/grant-schemes/