Cheshire: Environmental audits - Weaverham and Tarporley
Background
The concept of the environmental audit was adopted by the force to inform the current reorganisation of police activity. These audits are designed to support activity around community safety and cohesion. The audit process involves a team of between four and eight people, including a police officer, local councillor and local residents (typically people of influence). The area being audited usually comprises between 3,000 and 5,000 households.
Action
The audit process has three parts
- A physical audit - a walkabout - where the team look for signs of disorder and so-called 'background noise'. Notes are made, which can provide an accurate picture of the locality.
- A public perception survey to gather local opinions of the area
- Collation of statistics on calls received, reported crime and detections for the area.
An action plan is then drawn up by the team, which usually requires collaboration from the partner agencies. This material can then be used by the local officer(s) to acquaint him/herself with the local area, and to feed back to the local community about actions that are being taken to address their issues and problems. The auditing process is also a clear demonstration of the gap between local perceptions and the reality, which can be used to address perceptions and provide reassurance.
Stage two of the process involves a repeat of the process at six-monthly intervals and review of the action plans at six-weekly intervals.
Learning
Janette has helped the force with its communication strategy and engagement work with the local community, organising and implementing the public perception surveys and making sure that a wide section of the community is engaged. An analysis of the first public perception survey showed that none of the respondents were under age 25 - yet one of the major issues identified was youth nuisance. By organising a focus group at the local high school the concerns of the younger members of the community were incorporated into the process.
By using different methods of engagement, such as web-based surveys to reach busy professionals and placing kiosks in supermarkets and even in pubs, the public perception surveys will reach beyond the public who typically respond to postal surveys. A wide range of methods will be used to gather information from the whole community.
What next?
The force has identified a further six pilot sites to test this approach. By linking the audit to on-going work on improving community engagement and local problem solving, it hopes to see measurable increases in community satisfaction and safety.
The first audit was carried out in Weaverham, where stage two of the process is now underway. A second test has now been commenced at Tarporley.
Further information
Please contact Janette: Janette.Wallace-Gedge@cheshire.pnn.police.uk
