29 June 2010: Report of the District Partnerships Leads - Phillip Morris-Jones
Refurbishment Rugby Police Station
The refurbishment works at Rugby Police Station are almost finished, with the internal works completed to allow staff to re-occupy the ground and first floors. The refurbished building includes a state of the art custody block and has allowed for co-location of partner organisations, with Victim Support already in place and Neighbourhood Watch due to start working from the station in the near future.
Major Investigations
May saw the conclusion of the year long investigation into a serious assault in Rugby involving Luke Jones when he appeared at Birmingham Crown Court and received an indeterminate custody sentence with a requirement to serve a minimum of 5 ½ years. Jones was identified as a highest harm causer by Rugby police due to his involvement in gang related criminality, Class A drug supply and serious violence. Jones went ‘on the run’ after committing the assault leading to an extensive intelligence led operation to locate him. During the police operation to locate and arrest Jones, 27 premises were searched, which resulted in the recovery of £1000 worth stolen goods and £3700 worth of controlled drugs. This subsequently led to the arrest of 20 other associates and charges for offences relating to controlled drugs, money laundering and handling stolen goods.
Organised Crime
As a result of the successes in Rugby of utilising a partnership based approach to dismantle organised crime groups in the form of local gangs, Rugby has become a pilot site for two national pilots on tackling organised crime groups. The approach adopted has been subject to interest from forces and other agencies across England.
Serious Violence
2009 saw increases in levels of most serious violence in Rugby and whilst these were managed down, concerns on this issue led to the development of an extensive analysis of partnership data around highest risk individuals. A 10-point plan has been adopted by the Community Safety Partnership and a range of initiatives are being implemented in terms of reducing re-offending, partnership events targeting at risk communities and wider engagement of agencies such as mental health. Serious violence levels at this stage are 20% down on the same period last year.
Neighbourhood Policing Improvement
Rugby Safer Neighbourhood Teams are developing a new model for neighbourhood policing which in time will inform the countywide review of Safer Neighbourhood policing. The model will include greater emphasis on the collection of community intelligence to inform local patrol strategies and improve the decision-making processes around the identification of SNT policing priorities at community forums. Volunteers are involved in this work, providing data inputting capacity to ensure operational staff are able to maximise the time they spend on patrol.
Community Forums
Rugby SNTs attend 6 community forums every three months. Policing priorities have been set at each forum covering a range of issues, the most common ones being anti social behaviour and community speedwatch. 100% achievement of these priorities has been agreed across the forums to-date. Rugby police are working with the Area Office to develop the forums to improve the level of participation of local communities, which has included surveys through the library service and website based opportunities for people to inform priority setting.
Community Safety Partnership
Recent increases in business crime have led to the CSP co-opting a new board member – Graham Aylott, Policy Officer for Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. In response to a series of thefts of metal on one industrial estate in Rugby, work is under way with the CSP to develop a business watch and identify opportunities to reduce offending. A similar series of offences at an industrial estate in Shilton has seen that issue adopted as a policing priority at the recent community forum.
Phillip Morris-Jones
Rugby Borough
Police Authority District Partnership Lead
