Success and Innovation - Cutting Crime and Disorder
Success and Innovation
Cutting Crime and Disorder
Tameside has made significant steps in averting crime and antisocial behaviour. We have been awarded Beacon Council status for our work on community safety. Working with the police and other partner organisations, we are one of only six councils in the country to be recognised for actively promoting community safety in town centres.
Tameside Patrollers
This unique neighbourhood task force of uniformed patrollers works alongside the police and other agencies to tackle antisocial behaviour and provide a reassuring presence. Their wide-ranging role includes sharing intelligence with the police, crime prevention and environmental responsibilities. In a typical month our patrollers tackle 100 incidents of youths causing annoyance, 32 incidents of fly-tipping, 28 incidents of dog fouling, report 245 cars without road tax and arrange removal of 125 abandoned vehicles.
New Patroller Cadet Force
Our patroller scheme is being expanded with a new cadet force of school-leavers, aged 16 - 18. The cadets will undertake a two-year modern apprenticeship for a nationally recognised BTec qualification in 'uniformed service'. This will enable them to develop a career as a patroller or move into other uniformed services.
Alley-gating
Gating up back alleys is proven to deter opportunistic burglars and to make people feel safer while going about their daily lives.To date approximately 2,000 homes in Tameside have benefited from this measure.
CCTV with Facial Recognition Software
This sophisticated technology enables our CCTV cameras to scan the streets for known criminals or missing persons. Up to 10,000 photographs can be stored on the system and the software enables rapid scanning of faces for a match. CCTV systems are in place in all major centres, linked to the police and our patrollers.
Bogus Official Campaign
Our patrollers help police officers to crack down on bogus officials by offering advice and practical help to protect elderly people and other vulnerable groups. Free security packs are provided, including an Identislot device which can be fitted to people's front doors making it easier for them to examine callers' ID cards before opening the door.
Personal Distribution of High-Tech Property Marking Kits
Property marking is a known deterrent to would-be burglars and we are helping local people take advantage of this by distributing free Mighty Dot kits which enable items of value to be marked with address details in a unique microdot code. Personal distribution of the kits by uniformed police officers and patrollers provides the opportunity to help people mark their property and discuss crime prevention.
Mobile Police Station
We contribute around £35,000 a year to joint police/council projects, the latest being a mobile police station. The £68,000 British, custom-built station is a new innovation in the fight against crime. Similar in size to a mobile library, it is kitted out with the latest technological equipment, giving police officers full access to their resources.
£50 fixed penalty fines are a deterrent with which our uniformed patrollers are empowered to tackle litter bugs. If a patroller witnesses someone dropping litter they challenge the culprit, requesting that the offending item be removed. In the event of a refusal the patroller reports the offence to the council's legal section which issues the fine. The deterrent is also used in cases of dog fouling, abandoned cars, fly-tipping and fly-posting.
Under-age Alcohol Sales Tests
Responding to people's concerns about youths congregating and drinking alcohol, we have been rigorous in prosecuting shopkeepers who sell alcohol to anyone under age. We respond to tip-offs from concerned members of the public and test whether shopkeepers are checking the age of young people who try to buy alcohol.
New Team to Investigate and Prosecute Fly-Tippers
A new enforcement unit has been set up to tackle fly-tipping. Responding 'hit squad' style to calls from people witnessing fly tipping or dealing with complaints after the event, the team investigates cases by asking local people what they have seen and by examining the discarded rubbish for any clues such as addressed mail.
Crack-down on Fencing, Second-Hand Goods Campaign
Teaming up with the police, trading standards officers run an UV property-marking project so that all second-hand goods dealers can check that goods offered to them are not stolen before they buy. The police and trading standards staff also do spot checks on dealers and their merchandise - to see if they are holding any property-marked items.
Watchman Traffic Calming System
A system of 28 cameras installed on eight main routes is cutting traffic speed and accidents - without prosecutions. Our aim is to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. In the first 12 months of the system, accidents have reduced by approximately 48% and casualties by approximately 30%. Watchman cameras also have a crime fighting benefit as they can help identify people in their vicinity.
Mobile Youth Centres
A big hit with youngsters, our mobile youth centres - otherwise known as PODS - are designed as a fun place to meet. Welcomed by local residents and the police as a way of reducing youth nuisance, PODs have also been commended nationally as an example of good practice.
