Inspiring the Confidence of the Communities We Serve
Community Engagement
The CPS Community Engagement Strategy was agreed in May 2005. The Strategy sets out the high level policy commitments on equality and diversity, the broad outcomes the CPS is seeking to achieve, and the high level actions and areas for future focus to achieve the commitments. To develop the strategy, the CPS has launched three community engagement pilots to look at different ways of engaging with the wide range of communities. The West Yorkshire pilot is building community engagement into the day-to-day business, focusing on two geographic areas (rural and urban), by providing communities with information about hate crime and a business plan that takes the communities' views into account. Thames Valley is looking at innovative ways of engaging local citizens and the business community, in a city centre, a town and a medium sized village, to improve the response to anti-social behaviour at a multi-agency level. Durham is exploring ways of building the confidence of local communities, particularly those affected by hate crime, to encourage more people to come forward and remain involved in cases. These pilots will help inform good practice guidance to be issued in 2006-07.
The CPS has introduced an initiative to increase engagement with Muslim communities through a series of meetings in eight Areas in England and Wales during 2006. The first meeting took place in London in February and was followed by meetings in Birmingham, Cardiff and Batley (West Yorkshire). Each of these 'Listening, Reassurance and Information' evenings consisted of presentations from CPS prosecutors dealing with counterterrorism, incitement to racial hatred, and racially and religiously-aggravated crime, and concluded with a discussion on the issues raised.
Case Study
Philippa Woodridge, CPS Gloucestershire
In November 2005, Criminal Justice Unit manager Philippa Woodridge won an award from the Education and Business Partnership (EBP) for the commitment she has shown in helping students prepare for the world of work. David Owen, Chair of EBP stated,"...this award recognises your contribution to education business links within the county and the difference it has made to the young people you have reached." After receiving the award Philippa said,"I am thrilled to receive this award. Working with students has been a regular community engagement activity for CPS Gloucestershire over the past year and I look forward to further developing the links I have made with the schools and colleges."
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
During 2005-06, the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Project continued to build on work carried out by the Specialist Prosecutors in 14 CPS Areas. All Areas have negotiated, or are in the process of negotiating, protocols with partner agencies, and have carried out training for staff and for colleagues in partner agencies. Action plans on how an Area intends to implement ASB policy are in place in the majority of Areas, with the remainder to be completed in 2006-07.
In 2005 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) produced a report on how the CPS was handling ASB and social impact crime. In response to the seven recommendations in the review, the CPS is implementing an action plan which includes appointing an ASB co-ordinator in all Areas and developing an ASB Strategy document to provide good practice and lessons learnt by ASB Specialists.
ASB Co-ordinators
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, Peter Lewis, Director Business Development, and Sarah Johnston, ASB project leader
At an ASB co-ordinators meeting the Attorney General said, "I want the CPS prosecutors to be seen by communities as their champion in dealing with the unacceptable behaviours of a relatively small number of people which can make other people's life a misery." The role of ASB co-ordinators was "not only to be good lawyers they must also listen to local concerns, be innovative problem solvers, and network builders - forming and being part of networks within their communities."
Case Study
Madhu Rai, CCP Gwent, with Gwent ASBO team Siobhan Blake, Claire Burton and David Wooler
CPS Gwent's exemplary working relationship with the Area's Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has led to an 80% success rate in post-conviction anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) applications. The CSP are made up of representatives from the police, probation service, youth offender team, local authority legal department and the community safety/ASB division. Siobhan Blake, ASB co-ordinator, along with Specialist Prosecutors David Wooler and Claire Burton work together to identify cases at an early stage and share information. The local community praised the CPS for its efforts, where ASBOs issued have meant residents in the Hillside estate in Abergavenny no longer suffer harassment from local offenders.
