Avon & Somerset Constabulary

Operation Jupiter North Somerset UK

Presentation Team

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Chief Superintendent Tracy Hayler

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Detective Inspector Alex Game

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Criminal Intelligence Analyst Lyndsey Farmery

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Police Constable Steve Hawkings

North Somerset District

Community Concern Evident

 Community Meetings  Complaints about service providers  Concern about drug related deaths

Press Headlines

Resort becoming as famous for drying-out clinics as donkeys Tourist town a magnet for drug addicts

• • • •

SARA Process Adopted

S

canning open sources and partnership data

A

nalysis provided comprehensive picture of the issues

R

esponse agreed and supported financially across the partnership

A

ssessment and re evaluation demonstrated progress and gave clear further direction to the project

Challenges

 Some concerns evident in highlighting this issue publicly  Politically sensitive issue  Conflicting priorities of partner agencies  Initial reluctance to share data

Scanning

 General misconceptions surrounding drug/alcohol treatment and housing existed  Poor management of certain drug/alcohol treatment services and poor quality accommodation were having detrimental effect on local society  Individual agencies were dealing with the symptoms but the underlying cause was not understood

Key objectives of the project

 Conduct analysis of multi agency data concerning the nature and scale of the problem  Identify and target the problematic premises through an intensive programme of multi agency supervision  Develop a multi agency strategy to deal with the issues  Inform the public and media about the true extent of the problem

An investigation into the effects of residential drug/alcohol services and Houses of Multiple Occupation upon Weston-super-Mare

Objectives of the Data Collection & Analysis

 Establish who provides drug & alcohol treatment services and poor quality housing in the Weston Super Mare (WSM) area  Identify the consequences of such premises from local services perspective  Identify problematic premises

Establish who provides drug & alcohol treatment services in the WSM area

48 Premises included in the Initial Analysis

Map Highlighting the location of the premises included in the analysis

Identify the consequences of such premises from local services perspective

Avon Ambulance Service North Somerset Council Housing Department Data North Somerset Police Environmental Health

HMOs required ambulance attendance more frequently Ambulance Attendance Houses w ith Supporting People Contracts 1% Registered Rehabilitation Centres 19% HMO's 80%

Higher Levels of Recorded Crime occurred in HMO’s 15 10 5 0 30 25 20 Theft Dwelling Burglary Violent Offence HMO Houses with Supporting People Contacts Registered Rehabilitation Centres

01/01/04-30/08/04

A small proportion of the properties account for a disproportionate amount of interaction

Focus of Operation Jupiter

Other Findings : Probation Issues

 It is not possible to accurately determine the number of individuals sent to North Somerset on a Drug Treatment & Testing Order (DTTO)  During a 10 month period 48 individuals subject to a DTTO came to Police attention  A number of whom were housed in the identified problematic HMOs

Response agreed by partnership

 Funding secured for 2 new permanent posts  1 Police Officer  1 Housing Standards Officer  Partnership working to target the top 20 problematic premises  Management of the project was aligned to the existing Community Safety Drug Action Team structure  Report made public and briefing given to media

Operation Jupiter Key Agencies North Somerset Council North Somerset Specialist Drugs and Alcohol Service North Somerset Drug Action Team

Consultation

Avon & Somerset Probation Service Avon & Somerset Constabulary Avon Fire Brigade The Rent Service Inland Revenue

Co-ordinating the multi-agency response

 Written statement of intention issued to landlords  Initial multi agency inspections of premises  Early success with 3 premises

Tactical Action

16 multi-agency visits ...

 Poor management standards  Poor living conditions  Breaches of Planning legislation  Benefit fraud   Poor quality drug treatment services Intelligence gathering opportunities

Poor living conditions

Results of Multi Agency Action

 9 premises sold / redeveloped or subject to “change of use”

 3 further premises subject to proposed sale to Registered Social Landlords  Reduction of 137 beds in poorly managed premises  Inland Revenue / Housing Benefit investigation ongoing and payments more strictly controlled  Intelligence led arrests, warrants and seizures of property

Specific tactics employed to deal with two poor quality unregistered drug rehab establishments

 Multi-agency reports – specific concerns  National Offender Management Service informed  Criminal justice referrals nationwide ceased  £36,000 ($67,708.00) funding withdrawn from one poor quality service

Impact of individuals referred to North Somerset for Drug / Alcohol Treatment

 Analysis of

detected

Dwelling Burglary offences  180 offenders brought to justice   57% (102) had been referred to WSM for drug / alcohol treatment Over half were subject to Probation supervision  Poor management of offenders now being addressed  Report produced for Responsible Authorities Group

Assessment

 31% reduction in calls from top 20 premises  Equates to 187 fewer interactions with identified agencies  6% reduction in crime at HMOs  Theft  Dwelling Burglary  Robbery  Wounding GBH (serious violent assault resulting in serious injuries to the victim)

 Of the original top 20………  9 premises sold, redeveloped or subject to change of use  7 premises improved to a satisfactory standard and remain under close supervision  4 premises do not meet the required standards and are subject to continued targeting

Outcomes

 Poor quality housing and care provision have been significantly reduced improving quality of life for service users & local residents  The remaining service providers understand the requirement for robust regulation of standards  Average tenancy increased from 4 to 16 months  The future maintenance and development of housing and treatment standards will be managed by the development of an accreditation scheme

Developing the Accreditation Scheme

 To assist providers to improve service quality to an acceptable standard  To encourage and affirm competent treatment provision in the private sector  To ensure treatment is appropriate, care planned and case managed  A management system to identify individuals referred by agencies outside North Somerset

Any Questions?

Report available:

www.n-somerset.gov.uk

•An Investigation into the effects of residential drug/alcohol services and HMOs upon Weston-super Mare.

•Operation Jupiter update September 2005.