The first episode of Channel 4’s major new documentary ‘Cops and Robbers’ will throw the national spotlight on Dudley and Birmingham − highlighting the areas as some of the best places in the country for managing criminals.
It’s offering the public a unique insight into the day-to-day difficulties police officers and other agencies face in keeping communities safe by steering problematic prolific offenders away from a life of crime.
But the man charged with leading West Midlands Police’s approach to offender management believes it shows just a snapshot of the multitude of work happening across the county to stop such crooks in their tracks.
As the force looks to build further on its success to date in cutting-re-offending, Superintendent Paul Betts knows a multifaceted approach alongside partner organisations is the key to driving crime down even further.
“The figures speak for themselves and clearly show our strategy is working. It’s no coincidence that five out of the top 10 areas nationally for cutting re-offending are here in the West Midlands according to figures from the government,” said Supt. Betts, “and all are far exceeding Ministry of Justice expectations.”
“What I hope the documentary shows, is the reality that offender management is an incredibly tricky area of business and something that requires a concerted effort to get right. There are complex social issues at play, which need a raft of different responses and not just from the police.
“At the centre of our success is a partnership approach, because we know that’s what works; it’s about looking at the bigger picture and knowing no single agency can solve these issues in isolation.”
Recent years have seen a multi-million pound investment in offender management by West Midlands Police resulting in the number of officers dedicated to preventing criminals committing more crime tripling to 250.
A ‘carrot and stick’ approach sees petty criminals, particularly teenagers, diverted away from offending and offered innovative alternatives to police cautions or court hearings. Many are helped to complete self-improvement courses − like the police-run Prince’s Trust Team programme – and given continued support via partner agencies and charities.
Now in its seventh year, the scheme has contributed significantly to the drop in re-offending rates across the region and has helped almost 2,000 people, aged between 16 and 25, focus on their futures. Delivered directly from police stations, it is unique to West Midlands Police and has helped transform thousands of young lives.
One person who benefitted is former burglar, Ben Lilley, 23, who chose to put his criminal past behind him and is now excelling on an apprenticeship with local public service provider Amey. Other success stories include 27-year-old former armed robber Anthony Brown who now holds down a full time job; and three young brothers from a troubled family who are all in permanent employment.
But these programmes don’t work for everyone and there are often issues, which are explored in the series, that drive re-offending − creating difficulties for criminals as they attempt to make positive changes in their lives, such as trying to break an addiction to drugs.
And when they refuse to change their ways, dedicated officers robustly manage their activities, acting quickly to make arrests, putting effort into obtaining orders that control behaviour and ensuring other conditions, such as curfews, are adhered to.
West Midlands Police’s approach to offender management is under constant review with a focus on staying ahead of the curve in cutting re-offending, preventing crimes from happening in the first place and reducing demand on the force’s resources.
A new project is looking at improving the training given to all officers around managing the risk from offenders who cause the most damage and harm to communities as effectively as possible. Similar models are also being considered for the way in which prolific domestic abuse perpetrators are handled, with a view to using techniques like those adopted for petty criminals.
And the force is taking the lead on addressing the issue of prolific female offenders, in conjunction with the West Midlands Office for Policing and Crime. It comes as figures show almost 13,000 women were arrested by the force last year – around 13 per cent of all people brought into custody.
Many cite unemployment, relationship problems or domestic abuse as triggers for their offending – and studies by Birmingham women’s group Anawim show just one per cent of its clients re-offend if given the right support and guidance.
Supt. Betts hopes ‘Cops and Robbers’ highlights the efforts by West Midlands Police and partners to tackle reoffending whilst also showing the force isn’t resting on its laurels as efforts are redoubled to bring crime rates down even further.
He added: “I know there’ll be people who look at what we do with repeat offenders and wonder why we invest so much of our time into working with them, but this approach pays for itself in the long run. Every life we change means fewer crimes are being committed − that leads to fewer victims and less demand on police and the courts. The figures show we’re getting results and the successes are clear for everyone to see.”
http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-news/news.aspx?id=1618
