URGENT BUSINESS
FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT
COMMITTEE – 19 APRIL 2004
RYDE
COMMUNITY STREET WARDENS
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF CORPORATE POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
This report is submitted at the
request of the Select Committee. The Select Committee decided at their meeting
on 16 February 2004 that they wished to receive an update on the Ryde Community
Street Warden Scheme.
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
To
receive the comments of Members
BACKGROUND
1. The Community Street Warden scheme currently operating in Ryde has been made possible by a successful bid for funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) together with a financial contribution from the Ryde Community Forum. The scheme was initially funded for one year and began in January 2003. There are two full time wardens employed under the scheme, one male and one female. Recently a successful bid has been made to the ODPM for an additional year of funding which has secured the posts until March 2005. However, funding from the ODPM for the scheme will cease at this point and alternative financial support is being sought from other sources.
2. The objectives of the scheme were not primarily crime-based but rather built upon creating a clean and safe community for all and this is being achieved by the development of strong community links and through close liaison with the police force. In particular, the wardens have made a concerted effort to reach all sectors and age groups of the community and to work with minority and hard to reach groups. The scheme has a strong community development role and has enjoyed an early success in this area. The wardens are fast becoming an established part of the local community providing an essential link between the community and the police and, actively fostering and developing community cohesion.
3. The scheme is largely proactive, seeking out and creating opportunities to enhance the quality of life for residents both environmentally and socially. To this end, the wardens have worked in partnership with housing associations, voluntary organisations, schools, the business sector and the police. This has involved them in initiating, organising and taking an active lead in community projects that have promoted a sense of pride in the community. By targeting the improvement of the local environment through community litter picks, graffiti removal projects and bulb planting programmes they are actively contributing towards “Quality of Life” initiatives introduced by local housing associations. The complimentary letter received from Medina Housing Association attached at Appendix 1 evidences and endorses their achievements in this area.
4. A large part of the wardens’ work involves the promotion of good citizenship. This is being accomplished by working closely with and within local schools. All age groups are targeted from primary to high school level through numerous youth projects that have involved, encouraged and educated the youngsters at the same time.
5. The wardens have played a key role in crime prevention initiatives, introduced by the local police, and are working to reduce the fear of crime with all sectors and age groups of the community. They undertake regular patrols on local housing estates and shopping areas and have established an incident / call log recording scheme which is an invaluable source of information. This is used, not only, by the police but also by the council. Reports of environmental defects at an early stage such as abandoned vehicles, dog fouling, fly-tipping and used hypodermics have resulted in safer, more attractive communities. Incidents reported so far total 1,409.
6.
Liaison with
the police has generally been through the local crime beat officers and weekly
briefing meetings at the Ryde police station. The wardens have access to a
mobile CCTV unit and it was hoped that this could be utilised by the police in
“hot spots” but it has become apparent that the equipment requires some slight
modification before this can be accomplished. This is being addressed and the
wardens are hopeful that the planned programme with local police will go ahead
very soon.
7. Working
in partnership is key to the ongoing success of the scheme and so far projects
undertaken have involved amongst others:
§
The Local Education Authority
§
Ryde Lions
§
Local youth organisations
§
Ryde Development Trust
§
The Countryside Agency
§
Youth housing initiatives (the Foyer)
§
The Crime and Disorder Partnership
§
Residential and retirement establishments (Milligan
House & The London)
§
Ryde Business Association
§
Victim Support
§
Ryde Community Rangers
§
Friends of Ryde Cemetery
This is just a small sample of the organisations and
agencies that the wardens have worked successfully with in their first year of
operation.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
8. The
Ryde Community Street Warden scheme has, without doubt, proved that significant
benefits can be achieved with a very small team of community wardens. There is
an instant impact when wardens are placed within a community. They become the
eyes and ears of the community. They provide a “semi-official” presence that
instills confidence in young and old alike. They “plug the gap” between
organisations and act as links between groups and agencies on the ground. They act as enablers and reinforce the
informal bonds which strengthen communities. In short, they help communities to
help themselves.
9. Sadly,
apart from the police report (Appendix 2) there are no localised statistics in
evidence to support the claims made in this report. However, it cannot be
denied that the Ryde community has gained considerable benefits since the
inception of this scheme and the warden’s are playing a large part in reducing
crime by intervention at an early stage. They are becoming involved with
reducing truancy in local schools and getting the youngsters back into class
and, at the same time, using the opportunity to build their youth networks up.
The wardens have consistently developed the scheme over the past year and will
continue to do so in partnership with the Council’s Crime and Disorder team.
Plans are already under way to link the wardens to the “Safer Homes Campaign”
run by local police. Baseline targets will be set for the wardens and these
will be monitored and revised where necessary at quarterly intervals.
10. Drug
rehabilitation/awareness programmes and neighbourhood mediation are two new
areas of work that the wardens are planning to become involved in and this will
be achieved by working closely with the Crime and Disorder Partnership. Other
links may also be forged with the Fire Service in assisting with their fire
prevention programmes e.g. reducing nuisance arson.
11. Service
volumes and outputs agreed with the ODPM at the outset of the scheme are being
achieved and in most cases exceeded. These are as follows:
·
Supporting the community
through environmental projects – involving a minimum of 200 people per year
·
Logged reports to the Police and Local Authority –
1500 per year
·
Liaison meetings with Housing Authorities – 12 per
year
·
Promotion of Scheme through presentations with
residents associations, the public, private and voluntary sector – minimum of 4
per year
·
Educational/environmental projects through schools
and youth groups – 6 per year
·
Reduction in environmental nuisance i.e. by an
increased rate of removal of abandoned vehicles, graffiti and litter – removal
rate to be increased by 5% per year
12. More
established schemes, in other areas of the country, have produced statistics
that are most encouraging:
ü
Domestic burglaries in Merthyr Tydfil reduced by 61%
ü
10,000 needles collected in a 6 month period in
Hull’s Thornton Estate
ü
Clean-up initiatives - 54 supermarket trolleys
collected in 1 day in Stanwell, West London
SUMMARY
13. Why
the Wardens are worthwhile
v
They are all about giving people a better quality of
life and a greater confidence in their communities.
v
They help to provide a high quality local environment
and tackle the fear of crime.
v
They encourage community participation and
responsibility for one’s own community.
v
They offer a highly effective, tried and tested, way
to help make the streets safer and communities stronger.
v
They add value to existing services.
v
They assist the police and local authorities in
meeting targets for service improvement.
14. Local
residents are realising that things are changing for the better and are now
becoming more involved in the work that the wardens are doing. They are openly
welcoming their presence on their estates and the most recent litter-pick,
undertaken at Easter, saw numbers swell to twice that of an earlier one.
Parents and grand-parents alike joined their children in this community event.
15. The
warden’s office receives many thank you letters and comments such as..…. “It
was really nice to see all the kids out there taking pride in the environment
they live in”…. “All the hard work they put in might deter them from littering
again”….”Please help us put our views across to the authorities”…”This is what
Slade Rd needs to help the children and parents live in a happy and respectable
community and build a safe place for the residents”...”Strong community
relationships go a long way”….”Congratulations on being the first ever posse to
listen to us about truants…the seven you herded back have been regular
absconders and were responsible for defacing and desecration of Millennium
Green”. Clearly, the impact the wardens are making in Ryde is significant and
warmly welcomed.
16. This
committee now has the benefit of being able to judge the opportunities and
merits of introducing Warden schemes across the Island and to consider how
other communities might also share in the benefits. It can consider what the
cost-effectiveness of a long-term investment in warden schemes could bring. For
example:
§
Less spent on litter picking and graffiti removal
§
Reduced levels of vandalism
§
Reduced levels of youth nuisance on the streets
§
Reduced expenditure on dog fouling
§
Quicker removal of abandoned vehicles
§
Less incidence of damage to property
§
Reduced expenditure on fly tipping
§
Less incidence of localised burglaries through
prevention & awareness programme
§
Early identification and prosecution of fly-tipping
offenders through use of mobile CCTV
§
Reduction of nuisance arson leading to reduced call
out costs of engines and staff
§
Neighbourhood mediation schemes to reduce the number
of anti-social court orders required
Prompt and decisive action taken in these areas is
already assisting the Council in meeting its Best Value performance indicators
and service improvement targets.
17.
The Council could support and develop similar schemes
across the Island by a number of methods, such as:
Ø
A small percentage rise on Council Tax - £2.00 per
head of population or £2.50 per head as per the electoral register per year
would provide adequate resources for 12 wardens (including overheads approx
£20,000.00 per warden)
Ø
Seed-corn schemes initiated by the Council and
developed through Volunteer wardens
Ø
Encouragement of Parish and Town Councils to support
local schemes through precepts
Ø
Providing match funding for various crime
reduction/prevention fund bids
Ø
Partnership funding with Housing Associations
18. The
savings that would accrue from the benefits listed at Para 14 would easily
recover the sums involved. For example, reduction of 25 bogus callouts for the
Fire Service would save somewhere in the region of £25,000.00 (to be
confirmed).
19. In
the last three years there have been 246 warden schemes approved across the
country and there are in excess of 1400 wardens on the streets. The Government
provided the funding required to kick-start these schemes and it is now for
these schemes to seek to replace Government funding as it comes to an end.
After such an impressive start it is essential that warden schemes are able to
continue to build on their success. They are fast becoming a vital and integral
part of our communities and as such deserve serious consideration of their
future by this committee.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
20. The Council has a duty of “promoting the economic, social and environmental well-being “ of its area and its vision as an organisation is to “Improve Island Life”. The Community Street Warden Scheme supports the Community Strategy, the Corporate Plan and the Councils overall vision and values.
21. The Community Street Warden Scheme is committed to
working in partnership with other public sector services, local key agencies
and the voluntary and community sector to create safe and crime free
communities and aims to support the Councils Corporate Objectives by improving
the quality of life for all. The scheme
makes a major contribution to the overall value of “Improving Island Life” and
also to the achievement of all the Council’s values. In particular to:
1.
By “Giving excellent
service” to our community by “listening to people” through their
work on local housing estates, within communities and schools.
2.
By “working in
partnership” and “caring for our unique environment” through
environmental enhancement projects and by helping to educate our youth in the
care and sustainability of our environment.
3.
Encouraging “safe and
crime free communities” by creating stronger communities through the
development of inclusive neighbourhood networks
4.
By encouraging pride,
good citizenship and ownership within local communities there will be “improving
health, housing and the quality of life for all”
22. At a local level the Scheme is an integral part of the Ryde Community Plan and SEEDA’s Regional Economic Strategy through the Ryde Regeneration and Public Realm Strategy. Islandwide it links to the local strategic partnership’s Community Strategy “creating Safer Communities” theme priority and the Crime and Disorder Partnership’s Community Safety Plan.
CONSULTATION PROCESS
23. Consultation, which included the warden scheme, has
been ongoing since January 2000 with the development and subsequent creation of
the Ryde Community Forum’s community plan. Following this, the SRB6
Regeneration and Public Realm Strategy evidenced issues to be addressed within
Ryde. A major local public consultation exercise took place, with community
coverage of approximately 25,000 registered electors. Ongoing consultation links to key groups and agencies e.g.
Streets Ahead, Sure Start and Ryde Development Trust are maintained through the
Ryde Community Forum, which in turn, informs the Warden Steering Group and the
management and delivery of the scheme.
24. The Council have a duty under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act to promote a safer society and reduce the level of crime and disorder.
25. There are no financial or legal implications at this time.
APPENDICES ATTACHED
Appendix 1 Medina Housing Association letter
Appendix 3 Photographs
of recent warden projects
BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT
The
Community Strategy, the Corporate Plan, Ryde Forum Community Plan, Ryde
Regeneration and Public Realm Strategy
Contact Point: Sue Chilton, Community Partnership Manager,
3632, [email protected]
JOHN BENTLEY
Head of Corporate Policy and Communications