To: AIRDRiE & VILLAGES LOCAL AREA PARTNERSHIP

Date: 1 OTH APRIL 201 3

From: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Ref: MD

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NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL

REPORT

Subject: JOINT COMMUNITY SAFETY REPORT

Purpose of Report

The purpose of this report is to update members of the Airdrie & Villages Local Area Partnership on progress with Community Safety in the locality and the joint work carried out in the priority areas by the Local Community Safet Sub-Group over the last period incorporating 1" December 2012 - 28 February 201 3.

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Background

The Joint Community Safety Report reflects the impact which the Local Area Team Community Safety Sub-groups are making in the area.

ProposalslConsiderations

Appendix I shows information and actions which have been considered by the local Community Safety Sub-Group for the period 1'' December 2012 - 2€fh February 2013. This includes a 'hotspot' map highlighting crime and antisocial behaviour issues in the priority ward area.

The report also includes statistical analysis of incidents in the defined area including trends and detection rates for the current period, the preceding three months and the same period last year.

The Partner Action Plan for the area is also appended providing a summary of agreed actions taken by partners to address some of the issues identified.

Promoting Positive Outcomes

Members of the Gartlea Community Council made contact with Housing in December in relation to general areas of concern throughout the Estate. An Estate Walk-about was carried out, with a Housing Official and a member of the Community Council in attendance. The walk about had an emphasis on community safety and maintenance of open spaces and action plan was drawn up to tackle the issues raised. Following multi agency meetings, chaired by Housing, all issues, within the remit of North Lanarkshire Council, have been identified and the necessary actions taken. These included the renewal of road markings, lighting repairs and the removaVtrimming back of

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vegetation and trees that restrict street lighting or offered shelter for local youths to congregate and consume alcohol.

4.2 During the months of January and February, Housing Services sought the assistance of colleagues in Police in tackling instances of disorder in Central Airdrie, Cairnhill, Salsburgh, Whinhall and Chapelhall, Information sharing briefings allowed the successful transfer or permitted intelligence which was followed by joint interviews and visits to known anti social residents. In each of these particular cases there has been a positive outcome in that no further complaints of anti social behaviour have been received or the sharing of information has resulted in formal actions by Housing Services.

4.3 During previous visits to residents within Holehills Towers it was evident there was an extremely hazardous practice of residents by-passing electrical meters to obtain free electricity. December saw a programme of pre-notified inspections by officers from Airdrie Housing and Housing Property to assess the meters for signs of interference. Further unannounced follow up visits were undertaken in February and these targeted properties where it was suspected the tenant may have previously tampered with the meter. Despite the previous high profile action three residents were found to have by-passed the meter. Housing continue to work with the utility companies to share information on such issues and have enlisted the support of colleagues in Property, Capital Works Team and Design Services to request the vigilance of contractors working within the towers.

4.4 Housing are pleased to inform partnership of the impending completion of the CCTV upgrade within the Holehills towers. The new CCTV system is more robust and affords greater clarity and improved coverage within the towers. This large investment is a sign of North Lanarkshire Councils commitment to the towers within Airdrie and a drive to improve safety within the complex. The 6 week contract is due for completion by the end of March 201 3.

4.5 Child Protection remains a high priority for North Lanarkshire Council and its partner agencies. December saw the official launch of Lanarkshire’s Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) model. Housing play a key role in child protection and the opportunity to attend the launch provided officers with a key insight into the service developments in this area. These processes compliment the work done by housing and partner agencies in relation to child protection such as fortnightly Domestic Abuse Conferences and Multi Agency Support Team meetings.

4.6 Housing Officials continue to meet colleagues from Strathclyde Police on a monthly basis to share information of mutual interest. These meetings are vital in the pro active management of our Estates and continue to bring positive results for both agencies. Information sharing protocol are vital in the pursuit of legal remedies to anti social and criminal activity and in the period under review 6 proactive disclosures were received for residents found guilty of the supply of drugs. 4 of these are being considered for supplementary action to recover the tenancy.

4.7 Previous reports outlined the ‘Moving the Goal Posts’ project provided by health to promote healthy lifestyles within our communities. Mobile football pitches and professional coaches were made available within the grounds of the Holehills Towers during Tuesday evenings. Regrettably, attendances at these evening sessions were poor and a multi agency decision was taken to

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move the remainder of the programme to Whinhall and the surrounding areas. It is hoped this will supplement the work currently being undertaken in Whinhall.

4.8 The Community Safety Crime Scene Investigation Project continues working with primary schoots in Airdrie. Pupils from primaries 5, 6 and 7 spend a day with their local Community Police Officers who take them through aspects of No Knives Better Lives, Impact of Crime on Society, and then finally the process of an investigation. The pupils are set with a crime scenario which then enables them to experience mock fingerprint and DNA taking, taking statements and finally through to giving evidence at court. The project is running throughout all primary schools in Coatbridge and Airdrie and is intended to roll out across North Lanarkshire during then next school year.

4.9 Members of the public frequenting Airdrie Town Centre are now benefited from a Bag Dipping Initiative organised between Strathclyde Police and Town Centre Activities Ltd. Bag dippings, (where someone has their purse/wallet stolen from a pocket or bag) normally peak after Christmas, to combat this during January and February, small cards where designed with key safety messages reminding people of measures they can take to keep their purses safe. These cards were made available in public cafes and libraries. In addition, crime patterns showed that the most vulnerable locations for this type of crime were charity and card shops. These premises often have smaller staff numbers and regularly lack CCTV. To assist, posters were designed for the doors of these shops advertising free purse bells which could be obtained within. Town Centre Activities Ltd then supplied 6,000 purse bells to these shops for passing to members of the public.

4.10 NLC Housing organised for staff and residents from sheltered housing complexes in Airdrie to come and participate in a personal safety discussion focussing on Bogus Callers which was delivered by Strathclyde Police. This input was well received by all and included materials from the Lanarkshire Bogus Caller Taskforce which includes representation from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, NLC Housing, Trading Standards and members from the Voluntary Sector.

4.1 1 Move the Goalposts has now arrived in the Whinhall Area of Airdrie. Funded by Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership and managed by Learning and Leisure this facility brings a mobile football pitch to communities where there is no direct access to sporting facilities and aims to bring together members of the community from differing backgrounds. Initially the project was placed in Thrashbush however due to lack of attendance has been relocated in Whinhall whereby it is being very well received.

4.12 During the reporting period NLP Board in partnership with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue (SFR) delivered the hugely successful Firereach programme. This is a 1 week intensive course concentrating on 4 key anti social behaviour issues: Hoax calls, Deliberate Fire Setting, Open Hydrants and Attacks on Firefighters. Secondary schools that took part included Caldervale High, St Margaret’s and Airdrie Academy.

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Part of this year’s Christmas Campaign SFR in partnership with the “One Stop Shop” delivered 10,000 Tri-Service leaflets, Police Fire & NHS. These leaflets were specifically targeted at our elder member’s of the community for the festive period and were handed out with the NLC Christmas Gift payment.

In the Airdrie locality SFR continue to monitor wheelie bin fires and cable burning sites and have now included fire alarm actuation’s where carer’s are present this information allows the LAT to allocate and task more efficiently.

Best Bar None - This initiative being piloted in Airdrie and Coatbridge is being led across the Partnership by Police Scotland. The scheme is open to all pubs, bars and nightclubs within the town centres and focuses on public safety and customer care and offers each demonstrate that it is focused on a number of key

venue the opportunity to principles including:

0 Prevention of disorder 0 Securing public safety 0 Protection and improving public health 0 Protection of children from harm

There are 3 levels of award - accredited, silver and gold.

Best Bar None Scotland is supported by the Police, Fire and Rescue, Licensing Boards and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and many of our local partners across the North Lanarkshire Partnership.

The scheme already successful in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness will be launched on 17th April.

Corporate Considerations

The Joint Community Safety Report reflects the Partnership’s commitment to tackling community safety in all our localities.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Local Area Partnership note the content of this report.

?& Paul Jukes Executive Director of Environmental Services

Local Government Access to Information Act: for further information about this report, please contact Martin Dickson on (01698) 302832

1 Oth April 201 3

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Appendix 1

NORTH LANARKSHIRE PARTNERSHIP

AlRDRlE LOCAL AREA TEAM COMMUNITY SAFETY SUB GROUP

*/? La n CI r ks h i re

Partners h i p

AREA COMMUNITY SAFETY PROBLEM SOLVING PROFILE AND ACTION PLAN FOR PRIORITY WARD:-

Ward 7 - Airdrie North Ward 8 - Airdrie Central Ward I 1 - Airdrie South

lST December - 28TH February 2013

Compiled bv Gillian Butler Partnership Analvst

rbhire S

cormcll F STRATHCLYDE NHS POLICE ++

Lanarkshire

Background and Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide the Local Area Team Community Safety Sub Group with a tool to produce a focussed series of actions to address community safety issues using problem solving methodology.

It has been decided that the best way to approach community safety, and in recognising partners operational demands in this period of reduced resources, the Community Safety Sub Groups should work in partnership to solve problems in mutually agreed priority ward areas across North Lanarkshire.

The identified ward area in this locality is Airdrie Central. Ward 8 has been chosen because it has statistically (from a Police perspective) relatively high incidences of a combination of disorder, complaints, domestic incidents, racial incidents, weapons, assaults, street drinking and vandalism.

The agreed actions and resultant problem profile should cover as many of the problem areas in the ward as appropriate and involve data drawn from all partners. It is then up to the team to agree on the priorities and define actions to address each issue which should then be included in the action plan appended.

It is intended that this document and the outcomes there from will be used as the basis for the Joint Community Safety Report to the Local Area Partnership.

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Ward Description

Airdrie North is located within the Strathclyde Police 'NA Sub Division - North Lanarkshire Policing area and affects the Local Authority Area Ward 7. This Ward encompasses the areas of Plains, Caldercruix, Thrashbush Holehills & Clarkston

The ward area of Airdrie North has a population of 19,532' with the highest concentrations of the population residing in the Thrashbush & Holehills

The general living standards vary throughout Ward 7 as defined by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (2009).

There are 23 datazones within Ward 7.

' Figures taken from Northlan Website updated 2010

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CIDENTSOEC f FE3 t3

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There are ~isturbance calls to the homeless unit in T h ~ a s h b u ~ h ~ On police a t~end in~ the issues are n o r ~ a ~ l ~ related to intoxic~ted persons wit~in.

~ i t h j n the flats in ~ a ~ ~ c u l a r Cheviot Ct there are a n u ~ b e r of noise c ~ ~ ~ ~ a i n t ~ within the flats.

lssues in both these areas with youths d r ~ # ~ i n ~ .

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Action

_I_ - I -- - I - - - Poiice and Housing : Police call to Thrashbush on a weekly basis and discuss particular i # c i ~ e ~ ~ ~ an give advice to housing staff on how to ~ ~ t ~ ~ n A 4 weekly formal m e e t ~ n ~ takes place to ~ i s ~ u s ~ other operational and strategic actions tak in~ place

~ a l t h and ~ o u s i ~ - Health and h o ~ e l e s ~ ~ u r ~ ~ has a surgery in Thrashbush and advises sewice users resident on any alcohol or drug r e l a ~ ~ d h e a ~ t ~ is

that may impact on this area of service - _ - - - -I--

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n ~ j r o ~ ~ ~ n ~ a ~ : No action ~ ~ ~ u j r e ~ - ~ - - _ ^

Police: Police to m a i ~ t a i ~ contact ~ i t h the ~ ~ n c i ~ and provide high ~isibiltty patrols in the area to ~ a j n t a i n low level of disorder -- ~- calls.

o take place on ~ a ~ j c ~ l a ~ com~laints are received

v ~ r o n ~ ~ n ~ l : Noise e ~ u ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t r ~ ~ ~ ~ s t ~ ~ ~~~~

- appropriate - ~ - - - - - ~ o ~ ~ c e : Police to provide high v ~ ~ j ~ i l j ~ ~ ~ a t r ~ l s to target the problem of youths drinki~g. ~ ~ t ~ n ~ at ~ o ~ ~ l shops to make staff aware of the p r ~ b ~ ~ ~ in the area and to ensure they are not selling a l ~ o ~ o l to ~ e r s ~ ~ s under the legal age or setting to persons who ~~~ be purchasing for under age drinkers. ~ -- - ---__ ___

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Crimes peaked on ~ e d n e ~ ~ a y s & S a ~ u r d a ~ ~ in Ward 8.

33% of Assault & 27% of Breach of Peace c o ~ ~ i t ~ ~ d between QO:OQ and O ~ ~ O O

71% of Group 1 Violence, 20% of Assault, 4 % of &reach of Peace & ~~% of o ~ ~ n c e s c Q ~ ~ ~ ~ t ~ d between 19:OO and 23:OO hours

% of Street ~ r ~ n k i ~ ~ ~ o ~ r n i ~ ~ e ~ between 12:OO d 16:OO hours

DAY QF WEEK f t M E OF DAY

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r repea t ~ f f ~ n ~ e ~ ~ are g a t h ~ r ~ n g in groups at the bus stop outsi~e farm foods on Stjrl in~ s t reet . There have been reports ~ ~ ~ a r d I n ~ street

atroi the town centre and

~ ~ ~ k i ~ g at this ~ ~ ~ a t ~ o n . - ~ - __- -~

street in the own centre persons are ~ a ~ ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ on the stairs and ~r~nk ing a l c ~ ~ ~ l

visits to the car park 1

~~~k~~ street and ~ o ~ d ~ ~ street c a r park

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Joint w ~ r k i n ~ to ensure antisocial i n t ~ l l i ~ e n c e shared with a~prop r ia t~ ~ ~ ~ n ~ i ~ ~ .

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incidents reported between ~ e c ~ m ~ e r & Fe ruary 201 3 compared to ~ ~ ~ w ~ ~ n S e p t ~ ~ b e r & Novemb~r 2012 and 109 (-I 6~~~ between Decem February 201 2.

79 ( 3 ~ ~ of those were y u u t ~ related compared to 102 ~ 1 ~ % ~ between S e ~ ~ ~ ~ b e r & N ~ v e ~ b ~ r 201 2.

283 (35%) related to ~ ~ r n p l ~ i n ~ s ~ Dis ~ 4 7 * ~ ~ of all incidents reported during

Vandalism with

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to

sa^^^^ Z ~ % of A ~ ~ a u l ~ ~ f Oh of Breach of Peace and 13% of V a ~ d a ~ i ~ r n c # ~ r n i t t ~ d between O0:OO and 04'00 hours,

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