A scheme which puts vandals to work cleaning up vandalism and graffiti in Southampton was praised today by the government’s Crime and Justice Adviser Louise Casey.
Ms Casey visited the Polygon area of Southampton, where offenders on the high-visibility ’orange jacket’ Community Payback (CP) scheme have been removing graffiti as part of a wider operation to tackle vandalism in the city. The clean-up will be the first time Southampton City Council and Hampshire Probation Service put out advertising boards during the work to publicise that this is a CP scheme.
During her visit Ms Casey also met the Polygon Residents Association who have worked with the city council by reporting graffiti and setting up a scheme to tackle other problems, such as abandoned shopping trolleys.
Nearly 130 people, some of whom Ms Casey met during her visit, will be attending the government’s Community Crime Fighter course in Southampton which gives volunteers free training by the Home Office to ensure they know exactly what the authorities should be delivering, and gives them the confidence and ability to challenge them when they are not.
Graffiti is a problem in Southampton but the authorities have launched a widespread initiative to tackle it and have already had some successes including the successful prosecution of two teenagers who were responsible for 215 tags amounting to £8,000 of criminal damage.
Statement from the Crime and Justice Adviser
Louise Casey said, 'While some people might see graffiti as a harmless crime it is anything but. Not only is there the financial cost of removing it but more importantly there is the damage it does to a neighbourhood’s sense of community.
'That is why I am delighted to see Southampton taking real action by working hand in hand with the residents who are directly affected by this. As well as ensuring enforcement and clean up work is directed where it is really needed, it shows the public that the authorities are on their side and not the offenders.
'It also sends a simple message to offenders. You will be caught, you will be punished and, when appropriate, you will find yourself working for the community to repair the damage you have inflicted.'
Statement from the Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Coordinator
Coordinator Kerry Loveless said, 'Part of the agenda of Community Payback is to raise its visibility to the public because when offenders have done it before they have been mistaken for workmen. "Men at work" boards are often used during clean ups so we thought that we would just adapt those to advertise that Community Payback is taking place.
'The great thing is that it’s a partnership between the local council and probation service and more importantly it will restore public confidence by showing the community that offenders are facing the consequences of their actions.'
Statement from a Polygon Residents Association member
Residents Association member Julie Gara said, 'I think the Community Payback scheme and the high visibility aspect of it are good ideas. We’ve had the offenders painting out graffiti and clearing up alleys, in one instance they collected 37 bin bags of rubbish.
'What’s useful for us is to know that if we’ve got a project we need help with we can call on this scheme for help.'
Statement from Assistant Director, Hampshire Probation Area
Assistant Director David Renouf said, 'Community Payback is one of the most well known community sentences and, in Southampton, offenders complete over 50,000 hours of work per year. Offenders work on projects identified by members of the public, police, or local organisations.
'The work contributes to improving local areas, for example by removing graffiti, painting and decorating community buildings and clearing undergrowth in public spaces. HPA is keen for communities to have a say in what Community Payback takes place and to see how offenders 'pay back' society by working on these projects.'
Statement from a Southampton City Council
Cabinet Member for Economic Development and lead for Safer Communities Cllr Royston Smith said, 'When local people engage in making their community safer, it sends out a positive message that people care and want to share in taking responsibility for where they live.
'The Community Crime Fighters programme educates and provides a voice for local people, who wish to take an active lead in informing their community about the various initiatives that the council and its partners are working to deliver - to make their communities safer.'
Notes to editors
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Areas across the UK 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
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Funding of £5.6m is available to support the Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas nationally in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
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Branded high visibility jackets worn by offenders carrying out work on Community Payback projects were launched on 1 December 2008 as a response to the review by Louise Casey on Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime (new window).
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So far more than 500 people have received training on the CCF scheme. The government has made a commitment to train 3,600 by the end of the year.
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For more information contact the Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535.
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