Good Practice
Street Crime Leeds Universities Crime Reduction Partnership
Context
Leeds has a population of 732,000; 121,000 of which are students. 68,000 students study at the local Further Education College and 53,000 study at the two Universities in the city, Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University.
Challenge
Statistics from West Yorkshire Police identified that:
Students were a significant ‘victim group’.
Crime against students was primarily focused along the A660 corridor from the City Centre to the outer ring road.
The Universities in Leeds had tried a number of initiatives to address this, with varying degrees of success. However:
there was no ‘high level’ link between the universities and the police;
other parties such as the City Council and UNIPOL student homes were not involved;
student representatives were not involved;
Universities activities were focused on ‘Freshers’/Induction week.
Activities were focused on ‘traditional ‘ students
Action taken
The Leeds Universities Crime Reduction Partnership was established, comprising:
Senior representatives from the two universities;
Representatives from the two students’ unions;
Representatives from West Yorkshire Police;
Representatives from the City Council and UNIPOL Student Homes.
The Partnership has agreed aims and objectives and for the 2003/04 academic year which are set out in a Statement of Aim
The Partnership will evaluate the success of its activities venture through review of crime statistics and surveys of the perception students.
A partner from the group sits on the city’s Street Crime Implementation Group.
Initiatives
The initiatives to date of the Partnership are:
The production of a new booklet for students ‘Stay Safe, Stay Secure’. This was formulated following feedback from student focus groups. It was distributed to all new and returning students, and is available on the Universities and Students’ Union websites. www.lmusu.org.uk and www.luuonline.com
Introduction of a revised programme of initiatives in ‘Freshers’ week under the banner of ‘Walksafe’. This includes a range of information, support and guidance to students. Joint patrols, comprising police, university security officers and council safety officers have patrolled the A660 corridor, advising students on safe behaviour.
A new late-night bus service hit the road in September to coincide with "Walksafe". Bus operators "First" have extended its number 56 service to provide late night transport home. Primarily at the city’s student population but also open to other fare-paying passengers the service runs between the City Centre and the main student housing areas.
Introduction of specific briefings and support for international students, in recognition of the fact that they come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.
Sharing of information between partners on crime statistics. Patterns have been identified and used as the basis for targeting specific campaigns throughout the year.
A series of initiatives and campaigns has been developed by the two Student Unions which will run throughout the academic year. These will cover issues such as personal safety, home security, but they are also designed to raise awareness.
The appointment by the local police of an officer at Inspector level who has a specific remit on students and safety.
Forward planning, which assists the police to effectively allocate resources to support the various campaigns and initiatives.
Barriers Overcome
The biggest barrier to overcome has been to bring together partners with different histories cultures, external pressures and objectives.
Any initial reluctance to share information has been overcome through demonstration of the benefits of information sharing.
Future Development
Arrangements, initiatives and campaigns need to be bedded in.
Crime statistics will be collected and reviewed to evaluate the success of specific campaigns and initiatives.
Students’ perception of the success of campaigns and initiatives will be evaluated through student surveys.
Activities will be reviewed and monitored to evaluate success. However we are trying to encourage innovative ways of reaching students, and accept that some things will succeed and others will be less successful.
We will consider extending the partnership to other HE and FE institutions in the city.
Conclusions
The partnership has been successful in co-coordinating and focusing the activities of organisations in the city. Early indications are that the work of the group has been welcomed by students and is helping to reduce fear of crime as well as actual crime.
For further information on the Leeds Universities Crime Reduction Partnership, contact:
Steve Denton, University Secretary, Leeds Metropolitan University |
Last update: Last update: 28/10/03