The Government
today called on communities to step forward to lead the fight
against crime and anti-social behaviour.
Ministers are looking for ten trailblazing areas to pioneer
Neighbourhood Agreements on community safety and justice between
police, councils and residents.
The Pathfinders will require police, councils and other agencies
to agree service standards with local residents - and enable the
residents to hold them to account.
Communities which win the right to sign the first Neighbourhood
Agreements will be able to help target the crime and anti-social
behaviour that matter most in their local areas.
The agreements will allow residents to have a say in how those
issues are tackled, build better relationships with local service
providers, understand better what services they are entitled to
and how they can be improved.
Joint applications from local councils and police forces will be
considered by a cross-departmental selection panel, which will
pick the ten pathfinder areas. They will then be independently
evaluated before the scheme is introduced in other areas across
England and Wales in Spring 2011.
Policing and Crime Minister David Hanson MP said:
"We want the public, wherever they live, to be confident
their local police and council are tackling the crime and
antisocial behaviour issues that matter in their area. That is why
the only target we now set for police is to improve public confidence.
"Neighbourhood Agreements will be a key part of how the
police and other local agencies can work with communities to meet
this aim.
"This pathfinder scheme is a great opportunity for
people to make their neighbourhoods better places to live and to
play a key role in shaping policing in England and Wales."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Building on the experience of the Department for Communities
and Local Government in developing community contracts across a
wide range of services in England (for example on local
environmental issues - such as litter, graffiti, fly-tipping and
street lighting - and promoting healthy living) and core national
standards such as the Policing Pledge, these pathfinders will
specifically provide a way for communities and local partnerships
in England and Wales to negotiate and agree local standards of
service and priorities for action across the community safety and
justice agendas, including anti-social behaviour.
2. Local Government areas, estates, neighbourhood policing team
areas, crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) and
community safety partnerships (CSPs) can apply to become
Neighbourhood Agreement Pathfinders.
3 . Applications close on January 29 2010 and the ten pathfinder
areas will be confirmed in February 2010. More information on
applying and becoming a pathfinder can be obtained from the Home
Office.
3. Selected pathfinders will be supported by an experienced
Delivery Manager and assisted with local communications and
publication. A launch workshop event will take place in March and
will provide full briefing on developing and maintaining a
Neighbourhood Agreement and opportunities to learn from those with
experience of this.
4. The Policing White Paper, 'Protecting the Public,
Supporting the Police to Succeed' was published on 9
December 2009 and can be viewed at http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform/protecting-the-public.html
004/2010
Contacts:
Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk