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Community payback cleans up graffiti

A scheme that puts graffiti vandals to work cleaning up a local area of Southampton has been praised by the government's Crime and Justice Adviser Louise Casey.

Louise visited the Polygon area where offenders on the high-visibilit 'orange jacket' Community Payback scheme have been removing graffiti as part of a wider operation to tackle vandalism in the city. The clean up will be the first time Southampton City Council and Hampshire Probation Service put out advertising boards during the work to publicise that this is a CP scheme.

During her visit Louise also met the Polygon Residents Association whose members have worked with the city council by reporting graffiti and setting up a scheme to tackle other problems such as abandoned trolleys.

Nearly 130 people, some of whom Louise met during her visit, will be attending the government's Community Crime Fighter course in Southampton which sees volunteers given free training by the Home Office to ensure the know exactly what the authorities should be delivering and give them the confidence and ability to challenge them when they are not.

"While some people might see graffiti as a harmless crime it is anything but," says Louise. "Not only is there the financial cost of removing it but more importantl there is the damage it does to a neighbourhood's sense of community.

"That is why I am delighted to see Southampton taking real action by working hand in hand with the residents who are directly affected by this. As well as ensuring enforcement and clean up work is directed where it is reall needed, it shows the public that the authorities are on their side and not the offenders.

"It also sends a simple message to offenders. You will be caught, you will be punished and when appropriate you will find yourself working for the community to repair the damage you have inflicted."

Graffiti is a problem in Southampton but the authorities have launched a widespread initiative to tackle it and have already had some successes including the successful prosecution of two teenagers who were responsible for 215 tags amounting to £8,000 of criminal damage.

Kerry Loveless, Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Co-ordinator, explains:

"Part of the agenda of Community Payback is to raise its visibility to the public because when offenders have done it before they have been mistaken for workmen. 'Men at work' boards are often used during clean ups so we thought that we would just adapt those to advertise that Community Payback is taking place.

"The great thing is that it's a partnership between the local council and probation service and more importantly it will restore public confidence by showing the community that offenders are facing the consequences of their actions."

Julie Gara, Polygon Residents Association member, is delighted with the way things are going.

"I think the Community Payback scheme and the high visibility aspect of it are good ideas," she enthuses. "We've had the offenders painting out graffiti and clearin up alleys, in one instance they collected 37 bin bags of rubbish.

"What's useful for us is to know that if we've got a project we need help with we can call on this scheme for help."

David Renouf, Assistant Director, Hampshire Probation Area (HPA), agrees, saying:

"Community Payback is one of the most well known community sentences and in Southampton, offenders complete over 50,000 hours of work per year. Offenders work on projects identified by members of the public, police or local organisations.

"The work contributes to improving local areas, for example by removin graffiti, painting and decorating community buildings and clearing undergrowth in public spaces.   HPA is keen for communities to have a say in what Communit Payback takes place and to see how offenders 'pay back' society by working on these projects."

Southampton is one of 60 new Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas across England and Wales. It is receiving £110,000 over the next two years for funding towards a new Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Co-ordinator and additional work to ensure the public are informed on what is happenin in their area, delivering highly visible community payback and improving services for victims and witnesses of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Areas across the UK were invited to bid to become Pioneer Areas on the basis of a variety of data including deprivation, population size and crime information. However, equally important in agreeing bids was their

determination to work with local communities to address local concerns about crime, anti-social behaviour and justice.

Successful prosecutions against graffiti vandals in Southampton include:

* A 14 and 18 year old male who were responsible for 215 tags amounting to £8,000 of criminal damage. The two were caught in the act of graffitiing b a council officer who alerted police leading to an arrest. A house search found 77 cans of spray paint in one teenager's bedroom which was also covered with his tag. Both young men were convicted of criminal damage one receivin a referral order and a fine of £1,000 in compensation costs and the other receiving 120 hours of community payback and an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO).

* A 12 year old boy engaged in criminal damage (including graffiti) was successfully convicted and given a supervision and referral order. His mother has voluntarily entered into a parenting contract and the youth has successfully engaged in diversionary activities. However, the authorities have been clear that further anti-social behaviour will result in an ASBO application.

www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/crime.aspx

5th March 2009