Community Tasking and Co-ordinating Group

The Community Tasking and Co-ordinating Group (CTCG) is a multi-agency problem solving group which supports and enables performance against the key Safer Havant Partnership aims of reducing anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. The group is chaired by Havant Borough Council Community Safety Team Leader and features key representatives from the extended community safety family.

Each month the group reflects on the previous month’s performance and identifies matters arising through the analysis of partnership data and community intelligence. The group then adopts a problem solving approach to agree the priorities for action during the next month in line with the Partnership objectives. Membership to the CTCG is offered to those partners from within the Safer Havant Partnership and third sector who can have a positive impact on crime levels within the community.

CTCG Case study: criminal damage and anti-social behaviour – September 2007

Havant Borough Council Environmental Services staff reported an increase in litter, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage to Council and private property at a beachfront location. Police and Accredited Community Safety Officers (ACSOs) also reported and large group of youths gathering to drink in the evening causing an increase in demand on their services and complaints from the public showed an increase in the fear of crime in the area. The Community Tasking and Coordinating Group discussed the issue.

It was agreed that the aim would be to reduce the number of reported incidents and to reduce the size and impact of the group.

A mixture of diversionary and enforcement activities and a timetable for action was agreed on the identified peak days and times. This consisted of the following specific tasking of resources for a one month period.

• 5.30pm – 8pm Youth Service Outreach workers to engage with the group to explain the impact that they were having and to explore alternative activities with them
•  8pm – 10pm Accredited Community Safety Officers to patrol the area engage with the group to report offences disclosed and seek to identify ringleaders for further action
• 10pm – 12am Police to step up enforcement activity in the area.

This activity was reinforced by the following actions:

• Environmental Services to increase litter collection
• Police Licensing Officer to visit nearby off licences to remind them of their obligations
• Havant Borough Council (HBC) media officer to ensure renewed publicity of the alcohol-free zone
• Area to be monitored by the Community Safety Team

These activities were reviewed at the following CTCG and it was noted that whilst the number of incidents and the size of the group had reduced considerably there had been some displacement to a nearby park, accordingly a plan was put in place to continue the work in that area.

The Community Tasking and Coordinating Group also seek to identify those key individuals who through their criminal or anti-social behaviour are having an adverse impact on the community and these are referred onwards to the multi-agency anti-social behaviour panel for consideration.