Problem-solving projects submitted to the Tilley awards.
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Interventions to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public spaces
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The following problem-solving projects were submitted to the Tilley awards. Although the majority focus on disorder rather than specific offences against women and girls, the approaches taken could be relevant.
- 2002: Burnley Against Night-time Disorder (BAND) – High levels of night-time disorder were recorded. This was tackled by a multi-agency approach involving compliance with licensing legislation, banning offenders from pubs and clubs, CCTV and community radio for participating premises, and a dedicated town centre police team.
- 2003: Police Service of Northern Ireland: ‘Get Home Safe’ – The Get Home Safe campaign was developed to combat rising alcohol-related violence levels in South Belfast, Northern Ireland. Responses to this problem included a door supervisor scheme, enforcement of street drinking, toughened glassware, free transportation, CCTV, dedicated police patrols and marketing campaigns. An independent evaluation showed a significant reduction in assaults, serious assaults and victims with serious injuries seeking support after the scheme had been implemented.
- 2019: Thames Valley night-time economy (link requires access to Problem Solving and Demand Reduction Knowledge Hub Group) – Windsor’s demand was disproportionately high due to the night-time economy. Violence was escalating and the fear of crime and disorder among the residents and visitors was on the rise. Solutions implemented included a review of pub licenses, pub watch, creation of a ‘safety hub’ for individuals to attend if they experienced problems, and street pastors. Results showed a decrease in recorded incidents despite a reduction in resources deployed to the area.
- 2020: Warwickshire Stalking Incidents (link requires access to Problem Solving and Demand Reduction Knowledge Hub Group) – Stalking and suspicious incidents involving a lone male. Interventions included targeted patrols, enhanced lighting and CCTV. No further incidents were reported.
- 2020: Metropolitan Police Neighbourhood Improvement Districts (link requires access to Problem Solving and Demand Reduction Knowledge Hub Group) – The highest crime-generating areas were identified and mapped. Interventions were implemented according to the crime types recorded but included signage, crime prevention advice and leafleting, enhanced lighting and targeted patrols.