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Dear Colleagues

I am pleased to present the first year report for Glasgow’s Community Initiativeto Reduce Violence (CIRV), the city’s gang intervention programme establishedin October 2008 to test the concept of the CIRV model in the UK for the first time.

Gang violence has been a problem in Glasgow for decades. In some areas theremay be three generations of the same family who have all run with the samegang. CIRV does not necessarily seek to eradicate these gangs and recognisesthat membership of them is not always a negative experience for all young people:after all, gangs are formed by people coming together with a common purpose.However, where that purpose is violence, such behaviour cannot and will not betolerated.

Because of the deep-rooted nature of gang violence, there is no one solution, butrather a range of solutions that, together, can help reduce the problem.Operational activity, prison sentences and monetary fines are all useful forcontaining and managing the problem as it happens, but we also need to look atpreventing these young men from getting involved with gang violence in the firstplace. The public health approach employed by CIRV seeks to address thisthrough both enforcement and attitudinal change.

Through CIRV we are working closely with partners in health, education, socialwork, community safety, housing and the local community to help young gangmembers find a way out of their violent lifestyle. This change will not happenovernight – breaking out of a pattern of behaviour is hard and will take time. Whileit will therefore be some time before we know how successful the work of CIRVhas been, evidence so far suggests we are seeing considerably less violentbehaviour among those young people from the east end of Glasgow who, despitetheir often very violent past, have pledged to change their behaviour and engagewith the CIRV programme.

If we wish to have a truly long term impact on Glasgow’s decades long gangviolence problem, then all of us must maintain our commitment to its reductionover a prolonged period. The CIRV model allows all partners, both statutory andvoluntary, to have a part in this. Our first year report highlights a very encouragingbase for future progress.

I commend the first year report to all stakeholders and individuals across the CIRVnetwork and would like to thank you all for your continued support.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan QPMHead of Violence Reduction Unit

Foreword by Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan

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Thank you for taking the time to read the first year progress report for Glasgow’sCIRV.

This two year ‘proof of concept’ project commenced on 24 October 2008 when,despite no statutory obligation for them to do so, 129 young people with a historyof involvement in gang violence accepted an invitation to attend Glasgow SheriffCourt to hear a very strong and clear message from their community: ‘theviolence must stop’. While the range of enforcement actions actively beingprepared by the police was explained to them, 26 of the young men who attendedthat session pledged to put down their weapons and engage with the CIRVprogramme. Over 300 others have followed since.

Many of us have dealt with gang violence on a daily basis over a number of yearsand witnessed the damaging physical and psychological impact it has on manypeople. For an intervention model principally developed in the USA to have anygenuinely positive impact on the deep-rooted, historical gang violence problem inGlasgow was always going to require considerable ambition, effort andcommitment by a range of partners. The Scottish Government and partneragencies across Glasgow did however take the decision to fully test this modeland as you will see in this report, while we are only half way through the two yearpilot, it is fair to say the early signs are very encouraging indeed.

Following our fourth self referral session at Glasgow Sheriff Court on June 19 2009,the CIRV team commenced a review of the project so far. A number of challengesand very real opportunities have been identified during this process and I amgrateful to all of you for the contribution you have made. Despite CIRV beingestablished with the aim of testing the model in the East End only, it was clearthere was considerable appetite and support from partners for it to be extendedacross the city. As a result, the programme was formally expanded into the northof Glasgow on 2 October 2009.

This report summarises the main structure and content of CIRV and outlines someconsiderable changes in offending behaviour by those violent gang members whohave engaged with us so far. We are not in any doubt, however, about the verycomplex nature of the problem we are dealing with and while early results areindeed encouraging, international evidence shows it is only through prolongedintervention, enforcement and one-to-one support that we can hope to leave alasting legacy of real reduction in gang violence in Glasgow.

So what next? The priority for the CIRV project team over the next 12 months willbe to improve upon what we have delivered so far, further integrate with partneragencies and community groups across the north and east of the city, and inparticular build a strong mentoring service to follow those programmes andservices which CIRV currently provides either directly or via its network ofcommunity planning partners. Towards the end of the project period, we willevaluate its success both internally and independently, thus allowing partners inGlasgow to be in a position to make an informed decision as to how to developour shared vision for a considerable reduction in gang violence.

If you have any questions about this report please do not hesitate to contact meor my team.

Thank you for your support

Chief Inspector Robert StevensonProject Manager- Community Initiative to Reduce Violence Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

Introduction by Chief Inspector Robert Stevenson

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Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. What is CIRV?

3. How Does Glasgow’s CIRV Work?

. The Strategic Context

. Project Management

. The CIRV Network

. Glasgow’s CIRV Process:

i. Intelligence and Analysisii. Gang Engagement (including Self Referral)iii. Case Managementiv. Mentoring v. Programmes and Servicesvi. Enforcement

4. Is it working?Evaluation and Analysis

5. What next?Project Review and Next Steps

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Having originally been established to apply theconcept in the east of the city, the CIRV project teamhas identified existing capacity to extend theprogramme to the north of Glasgow. This beganformally on 2 October 2009 following a furtherintelligence gathering phase which identified 21gangs with around 400 members. The process ofinitial engagement with them is ongoing.

CIRV will be independently evaluated by the ScottishGovernment, along with academics from theUniversity of St Andrews and Glasgow CaledonianUniversity, ahead of the conclusion of the initial twoyear phase in October 2010.

1It should be noted that of the 368 who have engaged with CIRV,

some will attend more than one Self Referral Session before theyagree to engage, some will engage some time after the sessionand others will engage without having been to a session. For moreinformation, see the How Does Glasgow’s CIRV Work? GangEngagement (including Self Referral) section of this report

Glasgow’s Community Initiative to Reduce Violence(CIRV) formally began on 24 October 2008, with theaim of dramatically reducing gang violence in theEast End during an initial two year period, followedby a rigorous and independent evaluation.

During the initial intelligence gathering phasedetailed analysis was carried out on Glasgow’s gangculture, highlighting the existence of around 55known and established street gangs across the EastEnd of the city with around 600-700 members.

Following intensive engagement with gang membersby police officers and community partners, five selfreferral sessions were held at Glasgow Sheriff Court.222 gang members in total attended these sessionsand 368 have actively engaged with CIRV in the firstyear, each having given a pledge to stop their violentbehaviour.

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The CIRV multi-agency case management processhas referred many of these clients to a range ofprogrammes and services, delivered by a network ofpartners. Enforcement operations have also beencarried out against those who continue to offend,with more planned. In addition, a mentoring supportservice has been developed with around 80 people(including ex-gang members) from a range ofservices now in place to provide relevant andappropriate mentoring support to CIRV clients.

On average there has been a 49.2% reduction in thelevel of violent offending by gang members who haveengaged with CIRV. By using gang members toinfluence fellow gang members, CIRV also aims toaffect the behaviour of those who refuse to engage.As such, there has to date been an average 18.5%reduction in violent offending by this disengagedgroup.

CIRV assists clients in accessing employment andeducation opportunities. To date, over 100 clientshave been routed into full time employment, workplacements or education. This includes 60 new jobscreated for CIRV clients through an innovativepartnership bid by CIRV and The Bambury Centre tothe UK Future Jobs Fund. In November 2009,meanwhile, CIRV’s Careers Scotland keyworkersupport service won the UK Innovation in SocialInclusion Award.

1. Executive Summary

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The CIRV Model

CIRV is a multi-agency, community-centred projectdesigned to reduce violent behaviour amongst gangmembers. The initiative is a focused deterrencestrategy modelled on the Boston Ceasefire projectand the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence. TheCIRV model

2establishes a partnership among

police, social services, education, housing andcommunity safety services along with the localcommunity and delivers a clear message toestablished, violent street gangs: the violence muststop.

The CIRV model consists of three basic components:

. Enforcement. Services and Programmes. The Moral Voice of the Community

Enforcement

The enforcement element of CIRV aims to distruptthe dynamics within gangs involved in violentactivity. A clear message is communicated to thegroup: ‘stop the violence’. If an individual within agang commits an act of violence, enforcement isfocused on the whole gang. Three key activities areessential in delivering on this promise:. Intelligence Gathering. Gang Violence Analysis. Group Targeted Enforcement

Services and Programmes

Alongside the ‘stop the violence’ message is apositive message of hope. CIRV makes a range ofservices and programmes available to violent gangmembers who agree to alter their lives and whothemselves recognise a real and urgent need tochange. CIRV utilises an existing network of services in thecity together with some new programmes specificallytailored to meet the needs of gang members.

Moral Voice of the Community

Implementation of the CIRV methodology alsorequires communities affected by gang violence toboth receive and deliver the following messages:

. Stop the violence

. We care about our young people anddon’t want to see them become eithervictims or offenders as a result of gang violence

. We won’t tolerate violence in our community

2Source: University of Cincinnati Policing Institute

2. What is CIRV?

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Glasgow’s CIRV

Following research into international best practice inconfronting gang violence, the Scottish ViolenceReduction Unit (VRU) and Scottish Governmentformally established Glasgow’s Community Initiativeto Reduce Violence (CIRV) in October 2008, with aninitial two year remit to prove the concept of themodel in the East End of Glasgow followed by a fullindependent evaluation.

Following analysis and intelligence gathering in theeast, the first group of known violent gang memberswere invited to attend a self referral session (SRS) atGlasgow Sheriff Court on 24 October 2008 to hear theCIRV message and be offered access to theprogramme on the provision that they agreed tocease their violent behaviour. A further four suchsessions have been held since.

Although this proof of concept was originallyplanned for the East End of the city only, the projectteam has identified existing capacity to extend thegeographic reach of the project into the north localityarea. As such a group of gang members from northGlasgow have now engaged with the initiative. Theimmediate aim of the project therefore is to nowfurther establish CIRV across the north and east ofthe city.

The map below shows the areas of the city in whichCIRV currently operates (highlighted in yellow and purple)

The Strategic Context

CIRV is specifically designed to contribute to theGlasgow Community Partnership’s 10 yearresponsibility to achieve Scottish GovernmentNational Outcome 9:

We live our lives safe from crime, disorder anddanger.

The programme also closely relates to National Outcome 6:

We live longer healthier lives

and National Outcome 11:

We have strong, resilient communities wherepeople take responsibility for their own actionsand how they affect others.

A CIRV Strategic Oversight Group was established atthe beginning of the project to retain control of theproject on behalf of the Glasgow Community SafetyPartnership. Bi-annual reports are submitted to thisgroup by the CIRV Project Manager. Principalmembership of the Group is as shown below.

CIRV Strategic Oversight Group

• The Scottish Government

• Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

• The University of St Andrews

• Glasgow Caledonian University

• Strathclyde Police

• Glasgow Community & Safety Services

• Glasgow Housing Association

• Glasgow City Council Education Dept

• Glasgow Community Planning Ltd

• East Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership

• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

• Culture and Sport Glasgow

• Careers Scotland

• Job Centre Plus

• The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

• Scottish Children’s ReporterAdministration

24 192024 22 2

Timeline of Key Dates

OCTOBER

SRS SRS SRS SRS SRS

OCTOBER FEBRUARY JUNE JUNE OCTOBER

2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009

PROJECTREVIEW

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

3. How does Glasgow’s CIRV work?

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Project Management

CIRV is sponsored by the Scottish Government.Responsibility for project management rests with theVRU which provides tactical direction to the multi-agency Project Team. The 17 identified elements ofthe project and its ongoing workstreams areadministered utilising IPSO software as supported byStrathclyde Police.

Core partner membership of the CIRV Project Teamand the lead agency for each component is outlinedbelow.

The CIRV Network

In addition to the core project team a CIRV networkhas been established to help deliver the programmeat community level. Core membership of the networkis outlined below.

Glasgow’s CIRV Process

Glasgow’s CIRV process of gang identification,engagement, case management and enforcement isas follows:

•Intelligence gathering and analysis

•Gang engagement including self referral

•Case management

•Mentoring

•Programmes and service

A programme of targeted enforcement runsalongside all of these elements as a constant part ofthe CIRV process. Each element of the process isdescribed in detail on the following pages.

Project Administration & Co-ordinationGlasgow Community and Safety Services

Case ManagementGlasgow Communityand Safety Services

CommunityEngagement

Glasgow Communityand Safety Services

Employment SupportCareers Scotland

Specialist SupportServices

Glasgow City SocialWork Dept

Partnership TrainingLeap Confronting

Conflict

Gang EngagementStrathclyde Police

Gang EnforcementStrathclyde Police

Mentoring Co-ordination

Glasgow HousingAssociation

Intelligence andAnalysis

Scottish ViolenceReduction Unit

Co-ordination-Programmes and

ServicesGlasgow Communityand Safety Services

Youth EngagementGlasgow City

Education Dept

Peer AdvocacyThe Bambury

CIRV

Strathclyde PoliceGangs Taskforce

KanDo Sports

Includem

The Army

Job Centre Plus

Venture Trust

Sidekix Ltd

Culture + Sport

The Bambury

SPS Polmont

Enforcement

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Intelligence and Analysis

East Glasgow

CIRV’s intelligence and analysis process attemptedto identify those gangs currently active in the east ofthe city. Community police officers and analystsmapped gang territories, gang membership, ongoingrivalries and alliances which, together with existingrelevant information held on the Scottish IntelligenceDatabase (SID), provided a potential client base forCIRV.

This exercise identified 55 named gangs in existencein the area, containing 600-700 members aged 14-18years and predominantly male.

The map below shows current gang territories in eastGlasgow.

From this phase a CIRV gang database wascreated to include:

• Name of the gang the person isaffiliated to.

• Personal details – name, nicknames/aliases, date of birth, address and

Criminal History System number.

• Date of last gang related intelligence.

• A short synopsis of relevant intelligence.

Relevant information such as the individual’s school,whether they are subject to a supervision order orinvolved in other youth programmes, etc, was alsogathered from community partners and agenciessuch as Education and Social Work Departments.This helped to identify possible levers for engagement.

The CIRV gang database is constantly updated withnew intelligence gathered by the Divisional AnalystUnit and weeded as intelligence becomes outdated.

Information is also added after each CIRV SelfReferral Session. Names on the database are cross-referred weekly with crime data to identify those whohave committed or been the victim of a recent violentcrime. Any incidents are discussed at the weeklyCIRV case conference and an appropriate course ofaction implemented This information also identifiesgang members currently committing violent crimesbut not yet engaged with CIRV who are thentargeted for engagement. It also identifies whencrimes of serious violence (e.g. murder, attemptedmurder and some cases of serious assault) have beencommitted, triggering an enforcement response.

Individuals on the gang database vary greatly in theiroffending and gang activity. It is CIRV’s aim totarget those who pose the biggest risk to thecommunity and themselves and as such thedatabase has been supplemented with OffenderManagement Information from Glasgow Communityand Safety Services (GCSS). This system wasdeveloped to allow GCSS to target those individualswith a history of committing anti-social and disordertype crimes. GCSS assign an A - F grading based onthe total number of known offences committed by thatindividual. While useful for identifying those whofrequently commit the types of crimes specified,CIRV’s core purpose is to target violent gang offending.As such, the project has developed a similar processto the GCSS Offender Management Informationsystem which allocates an additional ‘grade’ basedon violent offending, i.e. knife possession, weaponpossession, simple assault, common assault, seriousassault, attempted murder and murder. Each crimetype has been scored according to the gravity of theoffence and each individual graded based on thecrimes they have committed.

While this process provides a range of indicators froma variety of sources, the CIRV Project Team is strivingfor even greater accuracy and sophistication tofurther improve the targeting of gang membersduring the engagement phase (see below). Policecrime management and offending historyinformation alone does not provide a clear enoughpicture of the degree of risk a young gang memberpresents to himself or the community. As such CIRVis currently developing an innovative and enhancedprocess for combining those criminal history,intelligence, disorder and violence grades as outlinedabove to provide a scoring mechanism which allowsfor a more effective risk assessment. Thisinformation will also give another dimension toongoing evaluation by helping assess if a CIRVclient’s total risk score has increased, decreased orremained static after engaging with CIRV.

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North Glasgow

Following the decision to extend into the north, gangidentification and analysis was again carried out,identifying 21 named gangs with around 400members in the area. Peak age of membership wasfound to be 15-19 years.

The map below shows current gang territories innorth Glasgow.

Gang Engagement (including Self Referral)

Following this initial intelligence gathering phase, anongoing assessment has been carried out to identifypriority individuals from each gang. Theseindividuals have been visited regularly by the CIRVteam. Potential levers for engagement have beenexplored, for example, where a gang member attendsa local youth group and/or has a good relationshipwith a particular youth worker, they have beenapproached with a view to engaging with the CIRVprogramme. Invitations to future self referral sessionsat Glasgow Sheriff Court (see below) have then beenoffered to gang members. In many cases, however,CIRV target clients are completely disengaged fromall community and youth groups due to theircontinual offending behaviour. These individualshave been visited regularly at their homes.

CIRV clients have also been referred by local policeofficers, the Strathclyde Police Gangs Task Force,schools and youth groups etc. Individuals have also“self referred” by contacting CIRV direct via the 24/7telephone number, as provided by Glasgow HousingAssociation.

The CIRV Self Referral Session

The Self Referral Session (SRS) is part of CIRV’sengagement process and communicates theconsequences of violent behaviour to gang members.The SRS informs clients about the services availableto those choosing to engage with CIRV and theconsequences for them should they continue to beviolent. It also communicates the expectations of thecommunity.

It is a stated expectation of the SRS that attendeespass the message to fellow gang members. Everyattempt is made, therefore, to identify attendees thatmost broadly represent the street gangs identified byintelligence gathering.

Five SRSs have been held during CIRV’s first year.Each session has followed a distinct path, with thedelivery of the three key messages crucial to thewhole event. This has been achieved by usingdifferent partners to give different messages at thesession, including:

• Senior police officers

• The mother of a boy seriously injured asa result of gang violence

• An ex-prisoner convicted of murderfollowing a gang fight

• Ex gang members who have engagedpositively with CIRV

• CIRV programme providers

Each session is chaired by a Sheriff, giving the eventa certain level of gravitas.

On completion of each SRS every potential client isissued with a card containing the 24/7 telephonenumber and instructions for engagement.

To date a total of 222 gang members have attendedan SRS of their own free will.

The SRS has been the subject of considerable mediainterest. In summer 2009 Cherie Blair attended asession as part of a Channel 4 documentaryprogramme. CIRV has also been the subject ofseveral broadsheet features and an article in theBritish Medical Journal

3. Media access has however

been limited and subject to strict control given theobvious necessity to protect the identities of thosegang members who attend.

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The following table outlines the number of gangmembers who have been invited to each Self ReferralSession and actual attendance rate on the day.

Experience has shown us that gang members:

• will attend more than one sessionbefore they agree to engage

• will engage some time after the session itself

OR

• will engage without having everattended (sometimes as a result of areluctance to enter the court environment).

3Donnelly P, Tombs J, An Unusual Day in Court, British Medical

Journal 2008, 337:a2959 –

Case Management

Case management begins once a gang member hasengaged and signed a pledge (see below) that theywill cease violent offending behaviour. Suitable opportunities, programmes or services arethen sought based on individual needs. CIRV’sCareers Scotland key support workers are integral tothis process. There is also the potential for a CIRVmentor to be introduced to the client at this stage.Social Work, Education and Police databases areaccessed to source relevant information andascertain any action currently ongoing with the client.

Weekly multi-agency case conferences are heldwhere all relevant partners have the opportunity toupdate each other on the client’s progress to dateand direct the appointed mentor or keyworker toimplement the most appropriate actions for thatclient. The process is thus transparent andaccountable, with a client centred approach.

CIRV COMMITMENT FORM

I ………...........(name)..................................................as a member of ………...................................................(gang name)…………………….....................................

wish to engage with the CIRV project Team and in sodoing, I agree not to carry out any act of violence orto carry weapons.

I understand that any support offered to me may beremoved immediately if I fail to keep this agreement.

I will attend all scheduled appointments and willremain respectful towards those who are assisting me.

I give my full consent to CIRV Project Team membersto share my private and personal information withEducation Department, Social Services, CommunityHealth Care Partnership, Careers Scotland, JobCentre Plus and voluntary sector groups. I understand that this information will only be usedfor CIRV purposes.

SIGNATURE ………………………………………..

CIRV TEAM MEMBERSIGNATURE………………………………………..

Cases are constantly reviewed. For example, where aclient has secured employment or a place at a furthereducation establishment, a letter of congratulationsis sent. Equally, where the client is struggling toremain engaged with CIRV or has committedviolence, they receive a letter reflecting this. In thecase of continued offending the letter advises thattheir case is now closed and they are disengagedfrom the CIRV programme, however, the opportunityto return once their offending has ceased remains.Main referral routes through the case managementprocess for CIRV’s current 368 clients so far areoutlined below (as at end- October 2009).

SESSION 1-24th October 2008 134 41 31%SESSION 2 (UNDER 16’s)- 24th October 2008 122 78 68%SESSION 3-20th February 2009 79 22 28%SESSION 4-19th June 2009 80 42 53%SESSION 5-2nd October 2009 81 36 44%

INVITED ATTENDED %

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Further referrals made to other programmes andservices for CIRV clients to date are outlined below:

Jack Black MindstoreSelf Development 128 clientsArmy- Operation Youth Advantage 16 clientsGang Mediation Session 6 clientsArmy- Look At Life 9 clientsArmy Outward Bound Course 3 clientsGlasgow East Regeneration Agency 14 clientsEnhanced Vocational Inclusion Programme 6 clientsSocial Work Specialist Support 3 clientsAddiction Counselling 3 clientsCLASS 2 clientsRelationship, Education + Counselling Team 1 clientFairbridge 3 clientsCareers Scotland Keyworker Support 113 clients

Routed to education, employment or training 51 clientsProvided with new jobs via Future Jobs Fund, including as CIRV Peer Mentors 60 clients

It should be noted that some clients will have used more than oneservice

Specialist Support Services

Some clients are known to Social Work Serviceseither through Criminal Justice Services or throughgeneric Children and Families Services. They may besubject to a period of Statutory Supervision and willhave an allocated social worker. In such cases thesocial workers are made aware that contact has beenmade with CIRV in order to minimise duplication and

avoid compromising existing care plans.

Social Work Services in East Glasgow is part of thewider Community Health and Care Partnership(CHCP). The role of the Social Work team leader inCIRV is to ensure links are made with the varioussupport services which lie within the CHCP, thusallowing referrals to be made to services such asCommunity Addiction Team, Community AdolescentMental Health Services (CAMHS), ForensicCommunity Adolescent Mental Health Services(FCAMHS) and Social Work Programmes team. Thesereferrals can also be made via the Youth JusticeForum which discusses those young people whohave reached persistent offender status.

Mentoring

Due to their chaotic lifestyle many clients requireregular ongoing support and supervision.

CIRV has recruited a network of 80 mentors,befrienders, project workers, key support workers andpeer mentors from across the private, public andvoluntary sectors, with plans to extend this numberfurther.

A recent successful bid to the Westminster FutureJobs Fund by the Bambury Regeneration Centretogether with CIRV has also provided the opportunityfor around 20 of the 60 full-time jobs awarded to beCIRV Peer Mentors posts. These posts are filledpredominantly by ex-gang members who havesuccessfully come through the CIRV programme orex-offenders who have offered their services and arecommitted to working with those still activelyinvolved in gangs.

CIRV also recently entered into partnership with theIncludem charity, which has developed a project toprovide an immediate, intensive and flexibleresponse to a number of clients and their families.This project tackles a range of underlying problems(including alcohol and drugs) through direct workand in partnership with others. Length ofengagement with this project is tailored to individualneed and progress made, including a period oftransitional support. Includem anticipates workingwith between 30 and 40 young people over a twoyear period.

CIRV is also working with the Glasgow VolunteerCentre who are providing around 20 volunteermentors to CIRV clients, along with a co-ordinatingfunction and training support.

368 CIRV

clients

82 clients toCIRV Tackling GangViolence Programme

41 clients to CIRVEmployability Programme

124 clients to CareersScotland Support

178 clients to otherprogrammes

182 clients to CIRV EastEnd Football League

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A CIRV Mentoring Coordinator has been provided byGlasgow Housing Association to manage thementoring network.

Broadly, the role of mentors is to:-

• Introduce the client to the network ofactivities and support agencies availablethrough CIRV

• Ensure client attendance at training,employment, etc

• Act as a positive adult role model• Increase self-esteem through development of

the relationship• Develop the client’s skills-planning,

problem-solving, communication, reflective,etc

• Compile reports for and take part in the CIRV case management process

Training for CIRV mentors and support workers hasto date largely been delivered by LEAP ConfrontingConflict, however a new dedicated CIRV mentortraining plan is currently being developed.

The three training courses so far commissioned byCIRV for partner agencies across the city are:

• Playing With Fire: an intensive five dayprogramme to develop partners’ awareness ofconflict and their attitudes, habits and behaviours inconflict situations. This enables them to work moreeffectively with others in the role of conflictresolution practitioner.

• Working With Gangs: a two day coursewhich presents challenges for professionals whowork with young people and develops their ability towork creatively and constructively with thoseaffected by gangs and territorialism by sharingmodels and techniques.

• Conflict Practitioner Training: a three day‘train the trainers’ course for future CIRV trainers whoalready have some experience of confronting conflictor related work with young people and adults. This provides an opportunity to develop participants’abilities to facilitate confronting conflict work.

A total of 60 staff from partners agencies have beentrained to date, as outlined below:

Paul - CIRV Peer AdvocatePaul is 22 years old. He spent five years in a notoriousGlasgow gang and started carrying knives when hewas just 14 years of age. He soon became one of thegang leaders.

"When I got to 14, I started carrying knives and itbecame a bit more serious because I wasn't stood atthe back watching any more. I was at the front,looking to do damage and not caring.

"By the age of 15, I was involved in selling drugs andwas taking cocaine, Valium and Ecstasy. My parentshad serious addiction problems and they found itdifficult to provide for me and my young brother. Yourgang becomes your family. You can rely on them: oneof the rules is 'don't leave anybody behind'. You'retaught, 'This is right, it's not wrong'”.

At 15, Paul was expelled from school for violenceagainst a teacher. It was at that point guns came intohis life. He became involved in a gang feud on thehousing scheme he was living in, and before long hehad two shotguns and a handgun - “If you've got themoney you can get them”.

This gang feud led to a fall out with friends in hisgang.

“I became violent with my pals, and turned into aone-man army. I thought, 'I have to do this to providefor me and my wee brother”.

By 17 he was in prison for a firearms charge andserved three and a half years. In the first year of hissentence, he was fighting and still involved in drugs,but gradually he started to see right from wrong. Heundertook anger management and drugs courses,but the main thing was getting to play football.Football made him feel valued and helped him tochange.

Aberlour Trust 4 2 2 2Army 5 2 4 1The Bambury Centre 3 2 3 1Careers Scotland 3 3 3 1Culture and Sport 4 3 1 2FARE 2 2 0 0Strathclyde Fire and Rescue 1 0 1 0Glasgow Community and Safety Services (GCSS) 13 6 12 7Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) 13 5 6 5Kan Do Sports 2 2 2 2Sidekix 6 1 6 0CIRV Project Team 4 2 2 2

TOTAL 60 30 42 23

Working with Gangs

Conflict Practitioner

Training

CIRV Partner Agency Playing with Fire

No of staff trained

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On his release, Paul went to the Bambury Centre inthe East End and asked if there were any footballopportunities. He became involved in the Bambury’sfootball coaching programme and was deliveringfootball coaching activities to more than 80 localchildren and youths on a weekly basis.

Paul heard about the CIRV East End Football Leagueand encouraged and supported local youths fromBarrowfield to enter a team. This proved to be verysuccessful and as a result Paul started to delivertraining workshops aimed at supporting local gangmembers to break away from gang related activities.Six months on, he is now a valued member of theCIRV team, employed with the Bambury as a PeerAdvocate to work with gang members on a dailybasis.

"It takes a lot of courage to change. You're throwingaway everything you've ever stood for, and it's hard toleave your pals and say I don't want a part of that.But I'm glad I did.

“The future's looking pretty bright now. I'm trainingan amateur football side, I've got a baby boy and Idon't touch drugs. If I hadn't changed, I'd probably bedead, or serving a long prison sentence. I know Iwouldn't be anywhere I would want to be.

“If I can do it so can these guys. Working with themis a better buzz than any drug.”

Programmes and Services

CIRV Tackling Gang Violence Programme

CIRV clients who are identified as being at thehighest level of gang violence are routed via casemanagement to the five week CIRV Tackling GangViolence Programme, as delivered by KanDo Sports.

To date eight such courses have been attended by 82CIRV clients from a variety of gangs.

Course activities aim to engage clients and enablethem to discuss and reflect on their own experiencesof gangs and gang violence. The ‘vehicles’ fordelivering the work include inputs from role models,football coaching and group work sessions. Coursecontent is outlined below:

• Territorialism sessions: to raise awarenessof how this impacts on communities and thebehaviour of young people, e.g. job prospects,friendships and life in general.• “Be Safe”: an anti-knife crime moduleconfronting the consequences of crime, the impact

on the individual, the family and the community forboth victims and perpetrators.• Anti-Knife crime / gang relatedmotivational workshops: with sessions related topersonal experience, the impact of prison and how itaffects families and the community at large.• Drug & alcohol awareness workshop• Leap Training: motivational modules toenable clients to reflect on behaviour and how itimpacts on their future lives and others around them.• Football coaching: from ex-professionalfootball player and manager Tony Fitzpatrick,including fitness training and healthy eating.• Employment registration: Traininginformation with regards to future employment in theeast of Glasgow.• Career essentials programme: Key workeridentification of clients for the programme andongoing individual support during and post course.• Realize Your Potential: Workshops onVisualisation, Affirmation, Emotional & MultipleIntelligences• Conflict Resolution workshops aimed athow to deal with situations and also how to avoidsituations of conflict.• Team Building activities• Job Centre Plus: Regular jobcentre visitswith live vacancies available, job matching criteria,registration and employment/training information.Visits to possible future employers, (e.g. hotels, callcentres, building sites etc)• Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)• Emergency First Aid.• CCTV: functions and capabilities ofcapturing offenders, monitoring the city and theprocesses of this function• Free registration and access to the healthyliving centre for fitness training and continualhealthy lifestyle.

After successful graduation from this five weekcourse, and dependent on ongoing non-offending ornegative intelligence reports, clients then progress tothe four week full time CIRV EmployabilityProgramme.

CIRV Employability Programme

The CIRV Employability Programme, as delivered bythe Bambury Regeneration Centre, consists of arange of personal development and employmenttraining activities including:

• Health and Safety • CSCS Training and Testing

14

• Alcohol and Drug Awareness, DJ Workshops • Health and Nutrition • Understanding Aggressive and

Passive Behaviour • Ripple Effect (Role Play) • Fitness Training (Circuits) • Team Building,• Literacy and Numeracy • CV Building • Outward Bound Activities

To date four courses have been delivered to a total of41 clients from 10 gangs. Eight young people haveprogressed from the course to three week work trialswith a local industrial cleaning company, while fourhave secured full time employment with thiscompany. A further three young people secured parttime employment with the Bambury with anotherthree taking up volunteer placements.

In October 2009 a bid to Westminster’s Future JobsFund Initiative by the Bambury together with CIRVsecured 60 new full time posts for six months forthose CIRV clients who have successfully comethrough the programme without incurring any newoffences or negative police intelligence reports.Employers have been identified and the process ofallocation of the posts is ongoing.

CIRV East End Football League

The CIRV East End Football League, managed bySidekix Ltd, became operational in January 2009.The Football League is targeted at gang members inGlasgow’s East End as part of the strategy to reducegang violence in the area. The role of the league isthreefold:

• to engage with gang members withintheir own territory

• to offer a diversionary activity on Fridayevenings (peak time for gang violenceactivity)

• to act as a referral point/sign posting service for gang members to othersupport agencies.

In order to attract and retain this problematic groupthe football league guarantees provision of a numberof key features and benefits including:

• a safe environment • top quality facilities • professional coaches • a league structure • professional referees • quality kit and equipment • an on-line results service

CIRV East End Football League clients receive coaching fromformer professional footballer Chick Charnley

The CIRV League has so far engaged with 298participants.

Over the first season the programme has engagedwith each team twice per week, i.e. one mid-weektraining session and Friday match nights. Trainingnights have included awareness workshops fromKanDo Sports, The Bambury Centre and CareersScotland.

The CIRV East End Football League AwardsCeremony was held on 30th September 2009.Notably, the opposing teams gave a standing ovationto the league winners, a gang they had previouslyconsidered to be their rivals.

Individual team members have given a commitmentto “Get fitter, lose weight, stay out of troubleand stop drinking.”

Two of the teams have now become involved inorganised football, playing in Saturday AmateurLeagues, while two players are now employed as aCoach and Assistant Coach respectively by the CIRVFootball League. Two other players have gained otheremployment after being referred for opportunities bythe league’s Football Managers.

Any players and teams who did not stay within therules of engagement were excluded from the league.

The second season of the league commenced on30 October 2009.

15

Operation Youth Advantage

In August 2009 the CIRV project took 16 youngpeople from two rival gangs to Aviemore as part of anArmy outdoor activity programme. The stated aims ofthis programme, known as Operation YouthAdvantage, were:

• To provide outdoor activities to CIRVclients as part of a comprehensiveprogramme of diversion and confidencebuilding activities.

• To provide a safe learning environmentfor the delivery of conflict resolutionworkshops.

• To establish the basis for rival groups towork together in order to addressissues of gang violence

Prior to this programme these particular groups hadbeen actively involved in gang fighting against eachother. The programme of outdoor activities includedrock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, orienteering andmountain-biking. The two gangs were split up toform four composite teams and activities organisedto encourage team working.

During each evening of the operation the groupsparticipated enthusiastically in workshops based onLEAP conflict resolution activities, resulting in somepowerful personal realisations from many of theyoung people about their violent and offendinglifestyles.

The operation was used by the Army as ademonstration of the capability to run similarprogrammes throughout Scotland. To this end theoperation hosted a visit from the Community SafetyMinister, Mr Fergus Ewing.

On return to Glasgow both groups agreed to continueto work together and are now engaged in the YouthAdvantage for the East End programme as run byCIRV and Culture & Sport. This programmecombines LEAP conflict resolution workshops withfootball and runs every Monday evening.

Keyworker Support

During the first year CIRV has referred over 100clients for Careers Scotland Keyworker Support.

Keyworkers carry out home visits to those identifiedby intelligence analysis to encourage them to stopthe violence, attend the Sheriff Court Self ReferralSession and positively engage with CIRV.

Following client engagement, keyworkers carry out aDiagnostic Checking Interview to assess level ofneed. Most clients have been identified as requiringPersonal Development Training and are referred tothe five week ‘Tackling Gang Violence’ Programme(see above). This includes a home interview involvingthe client, keyworker and KanDo support worker toprovide follow-up assistance and aid the client’stransition onto the course.

Keyworkers also support the four week CIRVEmployability Programme and Operation YouthAdvantage (see above) and are about to deliver LEAP‘Working with Gangs Training’ (see above) to CIRV’score partners, particularly Culture and Sport andGCSS.

Keyworkers carry out intensive, one-to-one supportincluding careers guidance interviews, ongoingmentoring support, help with application forms, CVsand accessing financial support for equipment,interviews, clothes and travel. They also engage withclients’ parents, encouraging them to support theirchild’s involvement with CIRV.

Job Centre Plus have also installed single points ofcontact at each of their offices to provide specificsupport to CIRV and its clients.

Services and Programmes for Under 16s

CIRV has established links with all Primary,Secondary, Vocational and College establishmentswithin the target area. It is also part of Glasgow’smulti-agency Anti-Violence Working Party, whichaims to provide a coordinated anti-violence messagewithin schools.

A matrix of resources identifying the age and stageat which resources are targeted has been created,with direct links to the area of the curriculum relatedto ‘Responsible Citizenship’. A single point of contacthas been identified in each school with responsibilityfor identification of, and support for, CIRV’s under-16clients. Picture opposite

Brigadier David Alfrey and Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing speakto gang members (picture courtesy of the Press and Journal)

16

As part of the engagement process for clients under16 CIRV liaises with school Senior ManagementTeams to contact individual pupils who have beenidentified through intelligence as potential targets.

The following courses have been developed for theunder 16 group::• Pre-Employment EducationReengagement Programme (P.E.E.R.): a 10 weekpre-employment, early identification andintervention programme delivered to gang memberswho have disengaged from school and fall within the‘More Choices More Chances’ (MCMC) group.

Aims:• To enhance opportunities for a positiveoutcome via CIRV Careers Scotland Support.• To build self-esteem, confidence andmotivate young gang members to think positivelyabout how they move on in their lives, particularly inrelation to health, employment, training and furthereducation

• Family Action in Rogerfield andEasterhouse (F.A.R.E.): ‘Mair tae me’ programme: a15 week engagement programme for secondaryschool S1 pupils

• ‘Gie it a R.E.S.T.’: Rangers Education andSports Training, a 10 day course including LEAPConflict Resolution Training and Sports LeadershipAward Course

• Anti-Violence Workshops: Series of fourinteractive workshops to support schools in theirexisting PSE curriculum:

• Medics Against Violence: presented bysurgeons, including an interactive DVD presentationwith follow-up sessions within school.

• Wiseman Group Routes out of Prison: apersonal insight by an ex-prisoner.

• ‘Be Safe’ Knife Awareness: delivered bypartners licensed to present the ‘Be Safe’ sessionaround knife crime

• LEAP Conflict Resolution: targeted atgroups identified by schools as requiring moreintensive inputs

CIRV is also working with the North YouthStakeholders Group to identify young gang memberswho may benefit from support and mentoring. Inaddition, a group of young CIRV clients have beenreferred to the Wex Army Personal DevelopmentCourse aimed at developing self esteem and self confidence.

Enforcement

CIRV makes clear that continued violent behaviourwill result in a strong enforcement response from thepolice, with individual clients being removed fromthe programme and targeted enforcement actionagainst groups as a whole.

Two examples of CIRV enforcement activity, ascarried out alongside the local police Division andGangs Task Force, are outlined below.

Enforcement operation

Over the course of a couple of weeks variousmembers of one gang were involved in a series ofoffences, including an unprovoked serious assault ona young man walking home from work. This was aparticularly brutal assault, leading to the victimsuffering a broken leg in addition to other injuries.The second incident involved a member of the gangseriously assaulting a woman the week after andbreaking her arm.

An operation took place following these incidents totarget the gang and arrest the persons responsiblefor the assaults. The Gangs Task Force, in addition todivisional personnel, carried out operations whichresulted in a significant amount of offences in thearea being detected and reported, including theapprehension of several suspects for the SeriousAssaults. The operation also resulted in the recoveryof weapons and controlled drugs.

Furthermore, as part of the partnership strategy, 19members of the gang were visited by CIRV staff,housing officers, Glasgow Community Safety Officersand Strathclyde Police Gangs Task Force, warnedabout their behaviour and told they will no longer beable to access projects and help offered to them byCIRV – regardless of whether or not they wereactually involved in any violent act.

A positive reaction by the local community wasparticularly noted.

17

BA/BD Dispersal Zone

In order to tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour inthe Parkhead/Lilybank areas of Glasgow, StrathclydePolice, in conjunction with CIRV and other partners,initiated a Dispersal Zone on the September 14, 2009which will operate until 5 January 2009.

This Dispersal Zone was raised under powers of theAntisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, whichgives the police powers to tackle antisocial behaviourin communities. This legislation allows police officerswho have reasonable grounds for believing that thepresence or behaviour of a group of two or morepersons within the zone is causing or is likely tocause alarm or distress to any members of the publicto:

• Require the persons in the group todisperse

• Require those persons not living in thearea to leave the area and not return for a period up to 24 hours.

The area is bounded by London Road from thejunction with Helenvale Street west to MaulkinfauldRoad, Tollcross Road, Wellshot Road, ShettlestonRoad, Westmuir Street, and Helenvale Street to joinLondon Road again its junction.

CIRV will, over the forthcoming weeks attempt to re-engage with members of the gangs in the areacovered by the Dispersal Zone in an effort to changetheir behaviour. A mediation session chaired by amember of GCSS staff will be organised betweenCIRV staff and gang members to enable both partiesto express their feelings. Where this provessuccessful the gang members may be reintegratedinto the CIRV programme.

CIRV’s enforcement activity will be enhanced, withoperations planned against gangs who continue toengage in acts of violence. These will be conductedalong with Divisional officers and support servicesincluding the Strathclyde Police Gangs Taskforce.

Evaluation and Analysis

The complicated inter-professional and multi-agencynature of CIRV makes evaluation challenging. Inorder to assess the impact of the project across itsinitial two year period, an evaluation programme isbeing designed by academics along with the ScottishGovernment and the VRU. This is likely to be on anobservational and case study basis, drawing onmixed quantitative and qualitative evaluationtechniques. This process is now underway.

In the meantime, some analysis of ongoing gangengagement and known offending activity has beenassessed by CIRV analysts.

The following chart shows the average rate of knownviolent offending by CIRV clients before and afterCIRV came into being. Violent crime is classified asmurder, attempted murder, serious assault,simple/common assault, knife possession andweapon possession.

Engaged Gang Members Violence Oct 07-Sept 08 vs. Oct 08 -Sept 094

CIRV is designed to use the gang to change thegang’s behaviour. Those who pledge to stop theviolence and engage with CIRV are activelyencouraged to positively influence other fellow gangmembers. The following chart shows the averagerate of known violent offending by those gangmembers who refused to engage with CIRV bothprior to and subsequent to the initiative’s inception.

4Statistics are taken from crimes recorded by Strathclyde Police

4. Is it working?

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0Q1: Oct-Dec Q2: Jan-Mar Q3: Apr-Jun Q4: Jul-Sep

Pre CIRVPost CIRV

18

All Gang Violence Oct 07-Sept 08 vs Oct 08 -Sept 09

This demonstrates an 18.5% decrease in violentcrimes committed by this group across the year.

The ongoing violent offending rate of those whoattended the first two CIRV Tackling Gang Violenceprogrammes, as held in November 2008 and February2009 respectively, has also been assessed. It showsthat of the 16 attendees, all of whom had a previouslyhigh level of violent gang offending:

• Two committed acts of violence duringthe course and were subsequentlyexcluded.

• One client committed an offenceafterwards.

• 13 of the 16 attendees have notcommitted a known violent offence since.

In addition, of the 16 gang clients who attendedOperation Youth Advantage in August 2009 all ofwhom were again at the highest end of violent gangactivity, none has committed a known violent offencesince.

Independent Research

In the summer of 2009, researchers from theUniversity of St Andrews carried out a study on theimpact of CIRV from the client group’s perspective

5.

35 self-selected CIRV clients from the East End ofGlasgow aged 13-26 years were questioned for thestudy, which used a mixed-method approach whereina questionnaire was developed incorporating ratingscales (quantitative) and open-ended questions(qualitative), along with a face-to-face semi-structured interview (qualitative).

The 32-item paper-based questionnaire consisted offour parts:

1. Gang Background

2. First contact with CIRV

3. CIRV content

4. Impact of CIRV

The interviews comprised questions regardingviolence, experiences with CIRV staff and reflectionson what is needed to reduce gang violence.Emerging themes were also explored. The responsesfrom the interviews were analysed using thematicanalysis.

Of 35 completed questionnaires, 31 were used foranalysis. Results showed that:

• Around 50% of participants wereinvolved in gangs for at least five years.

• 14 participants were actively involvedin a gang at the time of joining CIRV.

• Eight participants left a gang during the intervention.

• The majority of gang members interviewed for this study describedthemselves as non-violent and statedthat they do not enjoy fighting.

• The two most popular CIRV activitieswere the East End Football League andthe CIRV Tackling Gang Violenceprogramme (aka the KanDo course).Along with full time employment, theseactivities were found to be most effective in reducing violence.

• The majority of participants had notbeen involved in any fights sincejoining CIRV

30

25

20

15

10

5.0

0.0Q1: Oct-Dec Q2: Jan-Mar Q3: Apr-Jun Q4: Jul-Sep

Pre CIRVPost CIRV

19

• 16 participants stated that CIRV helpedreduce their violent behaviour whilenine said CIRV had no impact; however,further investigation is necessary toidentify whether there has been anychange in attitude towards violence or ifother factors reduced violent behaviour.

Analysis of 23 interviews identified fivemain findings:

1. Need to understand and utilise gangcharacteristics:

Various participants could not identify with the wordgang. It was recommended that use of the word bereconsidered in order to maximise involvement ofgang members in future initiatives. More suitabledefinitions such as “youth groups”(Eurogang Network) could be utilised.

The topic of territory was a major issue forparticipants. CIRV recognised and incorporated thisissue by strategically integrating participants fromdifferent areas in Glasgow. Indeed, meeting peoplefrom other territories was highly rated by participants.

2. Job and opportunities as a convincing factor:

The possibility of help to find employment andtraining was the principal reason behind joining CIRV.

3....The contradictory role of the police withinCIRV:

Participants expressed conflicting views on thepolice’s role in the intervention, which ranged fromparticipants joining because of a police visit tomistrusting the police and statements that the policeshould not take part in CIRV. The role of the policeneeds to be understood by gang members so as notbe counterproductive.

4. Insecurities emerging during the intervention:

An important issue was the participants’ insecurityregarding a better lifestyle and the fear of relapse,which can have negative implications for participantoutcomes.

5. Notable effects:

Most participants stated positive outcomes as aresult of their overall participation, including: teamworking skills, realising potential, and conflictresolution.

Conclusion

It was evident from the study that CIRV was having apositive impact on gang violence and the lives ofthose questioned. The study identified a number ofstrengths of the CIRV along with participants’recommendations for future interventions. Inaddition, it was apparent gang members are eager toreintegrate into society and the majority of themjoined the initiative hoping to find a job and stabilityin their lives.

5Study funded by the Wellcome Trust

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Kevin* is 17. After signing up to CIRV in January 2009, hehas managed to secure an apprenticeship.

“I didn’t really think about being in a gang or gettinginto trouble. To me, I was just hanging around withmy mates, doing what they did. I did it becauseeveryone else was doing it.

“But the older I got, I began to think there had to besomething else than hanging about and getting intobother. I wanted to work in the building trade – I’dbeen to college and liked it, but didn’t really knowhow to make the next move.

“Some guys from CIRV came to visit me at home andsuggested I get involved – they said it would help meget away from just hanging around, getting intotrouble and might help my chances of getting work. Idecided there was nothing to lose, so I took them upon it.

“They got me on a Get Ready For Work course andthrough that I got a work placement – it was great, Ireally enjoyed it, and so when the chance came up ofan interview for an apprenticeship, I jumped at it. Ihad two interviews and it was really tough – both theinterview and the waiting to find out if I’d got it. Itwas great when I found out I’d made it.

“These days, I don’t hang around the streets lookingfor bother. I’ve got too much to lose.”

* names have been changed

CIRV case studies

David* is 18. He signed up to the CIRV project when his gangactivities caused him to lose his job.

“I was gutted when I lost my job. I’d been thereabout eight months and liked it, liked getting regularmoney. Then the police turned up one day andcharged me with assault, and that was it. I’d beenhanging around on the street, drinking, carrying aknife sometimes, getting into bother, just doing whateveryone else was doing. I realised it just wasn’tworth it anymore.

“Growing up, there was always people running aboutfighting and that, it’s just what you do. Because I’vegot an older brother, I’ve always hung out withpeople older than me. I was about 13 or 14 when Istarted hanging about the street, drinking andfighting. Sometimes I carried a knife, and yeah, Iused it. No one ever got me with anything but sticksand bottles, though. One boy I knew got stabbed acouple of times and that’s when I started thinking itwas a waste of time. Losing my job made it seemeven more of a waste.

“Some of my pals had joined up with CIRV and saidthey might be able to help me with getting awayfrom all that and trying to get back into work. I joinedup and started off doing a programme with Kan Do.We did lots of different activities and talked aboutstuff like knife crime and gang fighting and how toavoid it. It helped me figure out where I was going.

“A lot of people doubted me, they doubted I wouldstick it. But I didn’t care what they thought, becauseI knew inside I was going to do this, to get on, sortmyself out, get a job, a motor, maybe my own place.Now I’m nearly at the end of the course, the guysfrom Kan Do have asked me to come and help themout with other boys coming through – I’m reallychuffed that they asked me, it’ll be great to helpsomeone else go through what I’ve been through.”

* names have been changed

21

Project Review and Next Steps

Following the fourth Self Referral Session on 19 June2009, the CIRV Project Team commenced an internalreview of the initiative to date, in order to:1. Assess capacity to extend CIRV into the

north of the city, given significantpartner requests to do so,

and2. Critically assess delivery of the project

so far to ensure an effective plan ofaction for the remainder of the project period

17 core elements were identified and, following athorough SWOT analysis of each, 17 associated ShortLife Working Groups (SLWGs) were established tomake recommendations, eliminate any identifiedweaknesses and develop identified opportunities forfurther activity.

The Project Review identified a number of areasrequiring development:

• A need to make CIRV’s enforcementresponse to gang activity more regular androbust• Recruitment of dedicated CIRV mentors in order to provide support to the most violent and difficult to engage gang members• Development of closer working relationships with community groups• Further work to develop the central CIRVmodel component of using the moral voiceof the community• A lack of diversionary and educationalprogrammes and services for under-16 gang members• A need for closer day-to-day workingrelationship with the local police division

In response to this review, which is still ongoing,CIRV identified the capacity to extend into the northarea of the city on 2 October 2009. Also, in animmediate response to the review, it has nowimplemented:

• Agreement with the Strathclyde Police Gangs Taskforce to engage in more enforcementoperations, some of which are imminent• The recruitment of 80 dedicated CIRVmentors to deliver mentoring type support,ranging from one-to-one intensive family support to key support work, befriending,case worker support and peer mentoring

• Recruitment of a CIRV mentoring co-ordinator and a voluntary sector mentorco-ordinator • Strategic, tactical and operationalagreements with a range of communitygroups in the north area • A range of new under-16 programmes, as outlined• A CIRV Area Team based at sub-divisional police offices and now moreclosely engaged in daily divisional activityand tasking and co-ordinating arrangements

CIRV is also developing plans to involve members ofthe community and established community groups tohelp address gang behaviour. Early discussions havealready taken place with a view to beingimplemented in early 2010.

It will also be the priority of CIRV in the comingmonths to:

1. Carry out further engagement with gangmembers in the north and east of the citywho have so far failed to engage

2. Allocate a CIRV mentor/ other supportworker to each existing and new CIRV client

3. Carry out a series of enforcement operationsalongside the local police division andGangs Taskforce

4. Identify further employment, training andeducational opportunities for those clientswho continue with a non-violent lifestyle

5. Participate in the independent evaluationprogramme currently being planned

6. Enter into dialogue with communityplanning partners across the city with aview to a mainstream, city wideimplementation of the CIRV model of gangintervention following conclusion of the proof ofconcept project phase (November 2010)

CIRV will submit its third progress report at theconclusion of the third quarter of the project atthe end of April 2010.

For more information on CIRV, please contact the CIRV team onT: 0141 276 7465or email CIRV@strathclyde.pnn.police.uk

5. What Next?

22

Notes

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Notes

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Notes