HoggWatch
Putting victims first in County Durham and Darlington
SUMMER 2017 MAGAZINE
Meet the lead of the new Criminal Justice Programme
A new Quad Hub; the first of its kind in the country
Home Secretary Amber Rudd visits Durham Constabulary
Launch of the new Hate Crime Advocacy Service
Congratulations to Julie Wild from Darlington, our first competition winner, who won a £50 gift card in the Spring edition of HoggWatch, for finding PawsUp Bob. Well done Julie!
PCVC Ron Hogg
Latest competition details on p12
Welcome to the summer edition of HoggWatch. It’s been a busy three months since my last magazine. A number of local schemes, and volunteers, have received awards for their individual or collective work in the community. Well done to all involved! I have published my Annual Report 2016-17, which gives details about key achievements, services for victims and the financial challenges ahead. I’ve also made the latest user-friendly Public Performance Report available for you to view on my website.
Contents Awards for local volunteers Visit from Home Secretary Amber Rudd Staying safe on our roads Crime prevention Your Qs about Restorative Justice answered Working toward a safer drug policy Rural policing Our young people have been busy this summer Reducing alcohol harm A day in the life of... An Independent Custody Visitor Staff member update
I’ve been campaigning about volunteering, and to raise awareness of the harm caused by alcohol. See pages 3 and 10. You can also find out who the successful applicants are from this year’s Community Safety Fund on page 6, and the New Hate Crime Advisory Service on page 5. Happy reading!
Ron Hogg Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington
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Road Safety p4
Rural policing p8
Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 10 Page 11
Alcohol Harm Win £50 gift card p10 p12
Front cover; Ron with Yr7 students from Park View Lower School L-R: James Briggs, Tyler Armstrong & Conway Bowen. See p9 for details.
Celebrating the work of local volunteers, the unsung heroes in our communities In support of National Volunteers Week 2017, Ron held an online video campaign which guided victims or the vulnerable towards local support services, thanked hard-working volunteers for their contribution, and promoted opportunities to get started in volunteering. Recently, more volunteers have received awards for their hard work and dedication. Well done to
Northumbria Blood Bikes for being honoured with the Queen’s Award and congratulations to those who received Durham Community Action Awards, which included two of Ron’s schemes: the Independent Custody Visitor Scheme and the Community Peer Mentors Project. Congratulations! Read more abut the Independent Custody Visitors on page 10.
Custody Visitor Denise Hill (C) with Councillor Jean Chaplow (L) and Katy Bambridge (R) from Ron Hogg's office, at the Durham Community Action Awards Ceremony at Beamish.
Home Secretary & Minister for Policing and the Fire Service visit Durham Constabulary
(L) PCVC Ron Hogg, Chief Constable Mike Barton, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd (R). On the 26th July Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd visited Durham Constabulary where they met with PCVC Ron Hogg, Chief Constable Mike Barton and several officers and staff. The Home Secretary and Mr Hurd were shown how Durham, the top performing force in the country, is tackling cybercrime and safeguarding vulnerable people. They were also introduced to a number of projects including Checkpoint - which offers those charged with offences usually dealt with by magistrates the chance to avoid a criminal conviction by making amends to the community and their victims. Thanks to everyone involved.
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Staying safe on our roads Road safety has been high on the agenda for the police and partners this summer, from education messages, to enforcement or awareness raising campaigns across County Durham, Darlington and Cleveland. Figures show that 66% of fatal accidents in Britain occur on rural roads. Therefore Operation Bramble has been running throughout the summer to tackle careless or dangerous driving in Teesdale and Weardale. A RoadPeace guidance booklet has been launched to the support the families of road
crash victims, with the backing of two families who have lost loved ones due to road collisions. Ron has made the booklet available on his website.
the joint Roads Policing Unit held a month-long campaign in June to tackle drink & drug driving. 135 people were found to be intoxicated at the wheel!
Ron promoted awareness about the risks of drink-driving during his alcohol harm campaign in June (more details on page 10).
96 of these drivers were found to be drink driving, 15 drivers provided a positive drugs test, 16 were unfit to drive and eight failed to provide a sample.
Operation ClosePass was launched region-wide, focusing on cycle safety messages for motorists and cyclists, and encouraging all road users to Look Out For Each Other and to Share the Road. You can follow the campaign messages on Twitter, follow @RSGB_NE.
Ron said: “If you’re a driver, you have a responsibility to drive safely. Regardless of the situation, I urge drivers not to take chances, and risk putting your lives, or those of others, in needless danger.�
In addition to all of this activity,
Group photograph below from the launch of the RoadPeace booklets at Durham Cathedral
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Hate crime: Educating and supporting local people Ron continues to focus on reducing the impact of hate crime.
He has launched a brand new Hate Crime Advocacy Service to support victims and witnesses of hate crimes. The service will work directly with victims and witnesses of hate crimes and incidents to help them through the process of prosecution Show Racism the Red Card are continuing to deliver their excellent sessions for young people to help them learn about challenging racism and embracing diversity.
Back row: Ron Hogg, left, and Justine King, centre (Show Racism the Red Card) with pupils from Witton Gilbert Primary School
Steve shows how to make it harder for criminals to break into your property One man who knows the benefits of keeping your garages, garden sheds, windows and doors locked is Steve Maitland from Shotton.
experiencing up to seven shedbreak-ins every week. Compared to that, we’ve only had five in the past nine months!’
There is a lot of good advice about protecting your property on the Durham Constabulary website.
Steve has fitted more than 2000 security devices to properties in his village over the past three years. Now retired, Steve volunteers in his spare time and for the past few years he has committed one day a week to installing locks and alarms for local people so they are less vulnerable to criminals. He also supplies anti-theft property marking kits, and a range of other devices to make it harder for criminals to steal from properties, or to damage them. The equipment which Steve fits was funded from the Home Office’s Safer Homes scheme, specifically for Shotton. He said: ‘Four years ago, Shotton was
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Local projects benefit from £150,000 funding
Your questions about Restorative Justice are answered below by Paula Somersall, who is the Service Delivery Manager for the Restorative Hub.
Q.
What is a 'Restorative Justice (RJ) intervention’?
A RJ intervention involves assisting and enabling communication. It focuses on the harm that has been caused and the impact it has had on people’s lives. The communication allows for questions to be asked which will help a victim to understand how and why the incident/crime happened.
Q.
When does the Restorative Hub become involved?
The Hub would become involved after receiving a referral or request for a RJ intervention from a victim, the Police, a housing provider, the Courts or from an offender.
Q.between a RJ intervention What’s the difference
and mediation?
With RJ, there needs to be an acceptance of responsibility. When a party does not accept they have caused harm by their actions, it can be difficult to
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work restoratively and mediation would be a better option.
Q.
How does the Hub become involved if the crime goes through the Court process?
Once the defendant has been charged for the crime, they will first appear before the Magistrates Court. A victim might be contacted by the Hub to see whether they would want the opportunity to participate in RJ if the defendant pleads guilty. This intervention, alongside the Victim Personal Statement (VPS), will ensure that the Court is fully aware of the impact the crime has had upon the victim before the sentence is decided.
Q.does it require a referral? Can people self-refer or
If a victim of crime is interested in exploring options, then they can contact the Hub directly or ask the Police Officer involved in their case to refer them. Tel: 0300 003 1818 @: info@restorativehub.org.uk
This year Ron's Community Safety Fund, which is managed by County Durham Community Foundation, is supporting projects and initiatives around the following key themes: • Encourage diversionary activities; • Tackle anti-social behaviour; • Tackle harm caused by alcohol, drugs, & violence. One of the organisations to benefit from the fund is the 700 Club in Darlington, a charity which supports those who are homeless, dependent on drugs or alcohol, or suffering with a mental health issue. Reverend John Elliston from the 700 Club said: “The charity works to help people regain control of their lives and to have a home of their own. I’m delighted that the Club was awarded £7,500 from the PCVC Community Safety Fund which will help to address the issue of non-homeless people begging on the streets and using their funds to fuel addictions.” Visit Ron's website for details of all the funded projects.
Working towards a Safer UK Drug Policy On 14th July, Ron hosted an international symposium in Durham about the future of Drug Policy in the UK, which featured speakers from around the world, and delegates from a range of sectors. Ron published 'Towards a Safer Drug Policy', which focuses on the need to reduce harm, and to focus on improving the health of drug users. You can find out more on Ron's website.
Ron Hogg (R) with speakers at his Safer UK Drug Policy Symposium in July
The new home of four emergency services has opened its doors in Barnard Castle The new Barnard Castle Emergency Services building is shared between County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS), Durham Constabulary, North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team.
£3.78m was awarded by the government to CDDFRS to build the station, which will be the first of its kind in the country.
The new Q uad Hub
CDDFRS District Manager Adam Hall said: “This is great news for the people of County Durham and Darlington, and for the four agencies involved. We work so closely together and being located in the same building can only help in ensuring the best possible emergency services response is offered to our communities.”
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Rural Policing Statement - One Year On
Communities in rural areas are well-established and tend to be close-knit and supportive of each other. They are also likely to experience different kinds of crime and anti-social behaviour compared to people living in towns. Concerns such as theft of livestock and equipment from farms are raised regularly with the Police. Ron, together with Chief Constable Mike Barton, launched the Rural Policing Statement ‘One Year On’. The Statement highlights the additional resources that have been made available over the last 12 months to address rural concerns, and it sets out plans for the future. Ron said: "The budget of Durham Constabulary has reduced significantly over the last few years. This has raised concerns about the resources available for rural policing. However, the number of officers working in our rural areas has remained stable and there are more based at Barnard Castle than a year ago. There is also the Special Constabulary, doing a great job working with our rural communities. "Last year with the launch of the first Statement, we made a number of commitments about rural policing. Since then, the police have enhanced how they are tackling local issues, including the introduction of Community Safety Responders, cross-border working, Community Speedwatch initiatives, an additional police vehicle, additional staff training, use of mobile tablet technology and greater partnership working."
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Young people have been busy this summer... There are now over 1660 Mini Police Officers in schools across County Durham and Darlington. They have been really busy lately learning about road safety, cyber safety and water safety, and share these messages with their peers. Visit the Mini Police Facebook page for more details.
Mini Police officers earn their Water Safety certificates
Group photo with the Year 6 JRSO primary school leavers
Budding stars of the big screen have been honoured at an ‘Oscars' style road safety event Young actors, actresses, producers, directors and Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) were recognised at Durham County Council’s (DCC’s) third annual celebration of the work of its JRSOs, which doubled up as the premiere of two new
New opportunities with the Youth Enrichment scheme
films made by school children. Year 7 students from Park View Lower School at Chester-le-Street (featured on the front page) and Seaham High School worked with a theatre school to develop, script, perform, film and produce their own road safety films. The project formed part of DCC’s road safety team's Slow to 20 for Safer Streets scheme, through which the schools are two of 66 across the county to benefit from reduced speed limits
Ben Eddy (L) with Nathan Gaskill, Young Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner
on surrounding roads.
Earlier this year, Ron allocated £10,000 for projects aimed at young people. The projects were chosen by a committee of young people chaired by the PCVC. One of them is the Youth Enrichment Scheme (YES), which Durham Agency Against Crime (DAAC) have been running. YES aims to teach young people, selected by their schools, new skills that will help to increase their confidence and improve their chances in life. Over a period of a few weeks they follow a range of outdoor activities. Eleven young people entered the scheme at Easter this year, and five of those have already joined the Police Cadets. Ben Eddy (pictured) from Framwellgate Moor in Durham said: "Working with the police cadets and staff was interesting and fun. I have made lots of new friends and it was brilliant to do something different at the beach and forest in the school holidays instead of playing on my xbox!"
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Reducing Alcohol Harm The damaging effects that alcohol can have on residents, their families, the surrounding community and the emergency services, were under the spotlight during a month-long campaign this summer. Ron wanted to raise awareness of a variety of alcohol-related issues, and to gather local views on alcohol consumption. With a different theme each week, the campaign covered the impact
on emergency services, drink driving, health and well-being, and ending with a focus on young people and retailers. Ron commented: “Not only are the effects of alcohol damaging to an individual’s physical and mental health, they can have a massive negative impact on the lives of others, both within their household and in the neighbouring community. This includes excessive or
inappropriate drinking by adults, as well as young people. Information about alcohol consumption is available on the Balance North East website. Visit www.balancenortheast.co.uk for details.
A day in the life of... An Independent Custody Visitor Meet Anne Gladstone, who volunteers as an Independent Custody Visitor... I chose to be a volunteer because I wanted to give something back to the community. I undertake four visits a month and attend quarterly Custody Visitor Panel meetings. Usually I do two visits at the same time so altogether the monthly visits take up about four hours of my time. A typical visit would be arranged with a fellow visitor. We do not have a rota and are completely independent. As one of my colleagues works full time we arrange to meet at a police station around 5pm at the end of the working day. We arrive at the custody suite unannounced. We are usually given immediate access, or occasionally there could be a delay, if the station is booking in a detainee. We then see how many detainees
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are in custody and how many we can speak to. Detainees are asked if they would like to speak to us and it is their right to refuse. For those that agree to speak to us we ask the standard questions: 1. Have you had your rights read to you and signed the rights form?
Once we have interviewed the detainees we have some paperwork to complete. We check Rights Sheets and detention logs and discuss any queries with the Custody Sergeant. The Custody Sergeants are very welcoming. They recognize the job we do supports them.
We can often make comment about problems with supplies, 2. Does anyone know you are here fabric of the building, computer problems etc. These issues are (if you want them to)? discussed with the police at our 3. Have you been offered a quarterly meetings. solicitor? I have been volunteering for nine 4. Do you have any medical issuesyears and I have recently given up if so have the custody officers full time work and enjoy giving dealt with them? more time to volunteering. We also ask about food and drink, I also volunteer as a driver for are they warm or cool enough, and Supportive, a local charity in take any general comments about Durham. I get to meet a lot of new their treatment in custody. people by volunteering and I enjoy We have to ask their permission helping others. to match up their comments with their custody record.
Staff member update: Meet Jeanne...
Jeanne is the leader of the new Criminal Justice Programme Team. The PCVC welcomes her into her new role. Jeanne said: "I have been working with PCVC Ron Hogg for the last four years, developing the links between this office and the wider criminal justice services. "I was responsible for completing the review of the Local Criminal Justice Board last year and I'm fortunate to have successfully been appointed as the lead for the new team, which will support the ongoing partnership work to improve the way the local criminal justice system operates. "For over thirty years I have worked within the probation setting and I was a probation manager in the newly formed Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC).
Jeanne T rotter
"I believe there are real opportunities to develop partnership working across the area at this time and I welcome the opportunity to be part of this from within the PCVC office."
What is the Local Criminal Justice Board? The Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) sits across Durham and Cleveland and is attended by heads of all the criminal justice agencies across the two areas. A review of the partnership structures and processes has recently completed. The partnership meeting is chaired by Ron Hogg and Barry Coppinger, Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner.
To support the Board in this work, a brand new team of four staff has been recruited. The team will ensure that partnership working centres around the three main objectives: • Supporting victims • Reducing reoffending, and ensuring efficient processes through the Criminal Justice System.
The new team, and partners, recognise that services for victims, witnesses and people who offend also extend far beyond the traditional criminal justice agencies: both public and private sector organisations are involved in the work of the LCJB groups. Further details about the LCJB, and the Board's Statement of Intent can be viewed on Ron's website.
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Summer 2017Dates for your diary... Ron and his team are out and about this summer at public events, and will be holding Community Days in towns and villages across County Durham and Darlington, on: August
August
August
August
Sept
2
12
12
13
2
Sept
Sept
Sept
Sept
Oct
2
9
16
16
28
ntside arlington Derwe D
gham Wolsin
e Stanhop
eld Sedgefi
one Egglest
ton Darling
rth Hurwo
e Peterle
Shildon
Visit the Events Calendar on Ron's website for details.
PCVC Interactive Map Did you miss the last edition? Website reminder: Have you used Ron's new Interactive Map yet? Find out about various activities Ron has carried out as your Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner. Simply click on a marker within the online map for details.
19th July to 31st August September
Summer Safety Rural Concerns
October
Hate Crime
November
Winter Safety Cyber Crime - Staying Safe online
1st to 15th December
Enter the latest competition: Like Julie Wild, (see page 2) could you be our latest competition winner? A £50 High Street Gift Card is up for grabs. Just contact the office by email or post (details at the bottom of the page) and answer this question: Q: How much has been awarded to local projects in this year’s Community Safety Fund? Is it: a) £25,000 b) £99,850 c) £150,000 One winner will be selected at random. Entries close Friday 15th September 2017 – good luck!
Superheroes back for the 3rd time Following the success of last year’s event (which around 20,000 people attended), we’re delighted to announce the date for this year’s event to Celebrate Local Superheroes…
Please get in touch!
Don't forget, if you have any feedback about the magazine, whether good or bad, please contact Ron's office, at:
Office of the Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner Durham Constabulary HQ Aykley Heads Durham DH1 5TT Tel: 0191 3752001 Email: general.enquiries@durham.pcc.pnn.gov.uk Web: www.durham-pcc.gov.uk
This magazine is available online and in hard copy. If you would like a copy posted to you, or several copies for an organisation you may be involved in, please let us know.