Police providing crime information and evidence

Public Safety Infrastructure Fund Grants

Presenter: Superintendent Peter Brigham Title: Assistant Director, Community Engagement Division

Media & Corporate Communications DepartmentDate: 6 November 2013

Role of Victoria Police

• To support local government applications, the role of Victoria Police is:

– A supportive letter and evidence is required from Local Area Commanders for CCTV applications.

– A supportive letter and information from Victoria Police is suggested for other infrastructure applications.

CCTV Letters of Support

• Obtained from your Local Area Commander.

• Local Area Commanders can only provide letter of support if they believe CCTV is the most appropriate and evidence-based solution to the crime problem.

• Victoria Police recognises the benefits of CCTV in some areas, but also we are aware of the limitations of CCTV as a crime prevention tool in isolation from other treatments.

Victoria Police evidence to support CCTV applications • Contact your Local Area Commander to obtain information/evidence

from police to support your CCTV application.

• Your Local Area Commander cannot provide you with unpublished crime statistics or other information that is not in the public domain.

• Your Local Area Commander, however, can provide you with an overview of the crime location, the types and nature of crimes at the location, crime trends and patterns, information relating to the impact of the crime at the specific location for the community and police.

Other Infrastructure Projects

• The Public Safety Infrastructure Fund grants provide the ideal opportunity for Victoria Police and local councils to work in partnership to achieve significant and sustainable reductions in crime.

• The scientific literature shows that crime prevention strategies that combine police enforcement with situational crime prevention approaches at crime hotspots are the most effective.

How can local councils identify crime hotspots?

• HIGH RISK COMMUNITY LOCATIONS

– Two per Police Division are identified

– Based on crime data, calls for service, community feedback, local police knowledge

– Site assessment identifies factors contributing to the problems

– Local Area Commanders have responsibility for developing community crime prevention responses in consultation with key stakeholders

Victoria Police evidence/information to support infrastructure projects• Your Local Area Commander can assist local governments to identify

crime hotspots in local areas.

• Victoria Police identifies two High Risk Community Locations in each police Division.

• High Risk Community Locations are based on crime data, calls for service, and several other indicators.

• Crime hotspots can be identified within each High Risk Community Location.

• Site assessment can assist in pinpointing the causes and drivers of crime in the hotspot.

Process for obtaining police evidence on hotspots• Contact your Local Area Commander

• In collaboration, identify crime issues within High Risk Community Locations that are amenable to enforcement and situational crime prevention approaches.

• Additional stakeholders may be identified at this stage

• Community consultation may also be required

• All stakeholders identify evidence-based crime prevention responses

• All stakeholders agree on division of responsibilities for the entire project

• Local Area Commander will prepare a letter of support

Victoria Police Letter of Support for infrastructure projectsYour Local Area Commander cannot provide you with unpublished crime statistics.• The letter of support can include:

– A narrative of the location of and extent of the identified crime problem (crime statistics need not be cited).

– A description of the impact of the crime problem on the community and on police.

– An assessment of any current interventions that have been inadequate, ineffective or absent.

– A description of how the proposed treatments will benefit the community and police.

– The division of responsibilities between stakeholders, including the role police will play during the project and how those activities will enhance the effectiveness of the infrastructure project.

Benefits of partnership approach

• Maximise the potential for infrastructure treatments to achieve significant and sustainable reductions in crime.

• Strengthen relationships between police, local government and communities to achieve community crime prevention outcomes.

• Demonstrate leadership in implementing evidence-based approaches to community crime prevention.

Other crime data sources

• MyPlace at www.police.vic.gov.au

• Published crime statistics at www.police.vic.gov.au

• Unpublished crime statistics can be purchased by local governments from Victoria Police Corporate Statistics Unit for a fee.

• HOWEVER…Victoria Police encourages local governments to partner with their local police to develop collaborative responses to address crime in hotspots…

The End