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4 November 2008
Essex Police become the first force to commit to the policing pledge.
So far, 60 areas across the country have signed up to become new neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer areas, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced today. She also congratulated Essex on being the first police force to deliver the new national Policing Pledge (new window).
Dedicated coordinators ensure community payback
Fulfilling a key recommendation of the Casey Review, and supported by £5.6m, the new pioneer areas will each appoint a dedicated person - a neighbourhood crime and justice (NCJ) coordinator - to ensure that community payback is visible and tough, that victims of crime are supported to reduce re-offending and that the public know the rights that the policing pledge gives them.
The new coordinators will be a powerful force taking forward the radical vision set out in the Casey Review (new window) and Policing Green Paper (new window) to give the public a greater say in the way their streets are policed and how offenders are dealt with.
The new coordinators will work to:
- let the public know their entitlement in the policing pledge so that they know their rights, know who their neighbourhood policing team are, how they can hold them to account and the minimum level of service they should expect
- open up the criminal justice system so that there are clear and public consequences for criminals that the public get to know about, including more visible community payback
- ensure that services and support for victims and witnesses like separate seating arrangements at court are up to scratch
Home Secretary's statement
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said, 'The public have told us what they want from policing and the justice system – services that listen and act on their priorities.
'But sometimes the criminal justice system can feel remote and appear more interested in supporting offenders than punishing them or protecting communities. We are determined to take action on this across government.
'I am grateful to all of the 60 pioneer areas for signing up to take action to open up the criminal justice system so that the public can see the tough consequences for those that break the law and also drive forward the action needed so that the public know what their rights are from the police and other agencies when they are suffering crime and anti-social behaviour.
'The new neighbourhood crime and justice coordinators will be a dedicated resource to act on the public’s behalf to make sure that justice is done and seen to be done in their local communities.'
Justice Secretary's statement
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said, 'I’m determined to continue the transformation of the justice system into a service for victims and witnesses – one where people know it is on the side of the law-abiding majority.
'To do this we must open up the system further, making it more transparent and showing people through clear examples such as tough, visible community payback. The pioneer areas will be a vital part of this – and they are another step in the reforming of the justice system for the benefit of all.'
Congratulations to Essex Police
Also today, the Home Secretary and the Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser, Louise Casey, visited Essex Police Force to congratulate them on being the first in the country to publicly meet the national standards and commitments in the national policing pledge.
Both initiatives are in direct response to the Casey Review which heard from more than 10,000 members of the public about what they want from the police and the criminal justice system.
For the first time the pledge gives the public a clear minimum standard of service, including:
- the police be with them within an hour in response to calls about agreed neighbourhood priorities
- the public has the right to meet at least once a month with its local team and others in the community to agree priorities and action to tackle them
- the public has an entitlement to crime maps and information on specific crimes
- the public has a right to information about what happens to those brought to justice in their neighbourhood
- neighbourhood policing teams will spend at least 80% of their time visibly working on behalf of the public in their neighbourhood
All 43 police forces across England and Wales have agreed to signed up to deliver the pledge for their communities by the end of the year.
Radical reform underway
The pledge is part of a radical programme of reform set out in the Policing Green Paper earlier this year.
Other reforms include removing all but one central target imposed on police forces — to increase public confidence that the police and other agencies are dealing with local crime and anti-social behaviour priorities.
Statements on the Essex Police pledge
Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on citizen focus Julie Spence said, 'Local neighbourhoods were the bedrock on which policing in the UK was first built.
'Chief officers are unswervingly committed to a visible, accessible, responsive and familiar policing style focussed on the expectations and needs of local people. ACPO is determined to reaffirm these valued policing traditions which the Policing Green Paper and Casey Review present.
'I hope the national policing pledge will help reassure the public that policing is responsive to their needs. Linked to this national pledge, at a local level, policing teams in each area will strike their own deals, focused on the needs of citizens they serve, so that local people can influence the policing of their streets and neighbourhoods to ensure it addresses the issues which matter most to them.'
The Home Secretary added, 'The public are our strongest weapon in tackling crime and I passionately believe that empowering them to get a good deal through the Policing Pledge will play a powerful role in driving up the quality of policing for our citizens and in our communities.
'I congratulate Essex Police Force for being the first force to fully implement the pledge for their public. For the first time the public will know the minimum standard of service they should receive and I look forward to all forces making the same, visible commitment to their local communities.'
Notes to editors
- Areas were invited to bid to become Pioneer Areas on the basis of a variety of data including deprivation, population size and crime information. However, equally important in agreeing bids was their determination to work with local communities to address local concerns about crime, anti-social behaviour and justice.
- Funding of £5.6m is available to support the Neighbourhood Crime & Justice Pioneer Areas in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
- This announcement follows on from the announcement of funding for Community Crime Fighters, another recommendation from the Casey review. Community Crime Fighters are members of the public who will be offered free training and support to get the best from local criminal justice services and are distinct from the coordinators who will be paid for posts within local authorities.
- The commitment to implement a Policing Pledge (new window) was set out in the Green Paper - From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing our Communities Together (new window). The final pledge has all 43 forces signed up to deliver the commitment by the end of the year. It will give local people a stronger voice and the means to challenge their local force if they are not getting the service they expect. The pledge also includes clear standards for the amount of time spent on the beat, easy ways to contact your local neighbourhood team and clear response times to all calls and incidents.
Pioneer areas
The Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas are:
- Barking & Dagenham
- Barnsley
- Birmingham
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Bolton
- Bradford
- Brent
- Bristol
- Caerphilly
- Camden
- Cardiff
- Doncaster
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Halton
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Haringey
- Islington
- Kingston upon Hull
- Kirklees
- Knowsley
- Lambeth
- Leicester
- Lewisham
- Liverpool
- Luton
- Manchester
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Newham
- Newport
- North East Lincolnshire
- Northampton
- Nottingham
- Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Oldham
- Peterborough
- Preston
- Redcar & Cleveland
- Rochdale
- Rotherham
- Salford
- Sandwell
- Sheffield
- Slough
- South Tyneside
- Southampton
- Southwark
- St. Helens
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Sunderland
- Swansea
- Tameside
- Thanet
- Tower Hamlets
- Wakefield
- Walsall
- Waltham Forest
- Wolverhampton
