Operation Dismantle
Cutting the cost of crime
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| PIER PROJECT: Tackling drug addicts has saved society £55.5 million in the last four years |
THEY'VE saved society £55.5million in four years. By targeting Bournemouth's most chaotic and prolific offenders, police estimate they have prevented thousands of burglaries, robberies and car crimes being committed and made the huge saving in acquisitive crime.
The pioneering Pier Project identifies criminals addicted to class A drugs and offers them a place on the project.
If the offender agrees, they are fast tracked into drug treatment and offered access to doctors and supported housing.
But all this help comes with one major condition - that they get clean and stop committing crime.
Acquisitive crime costs society dear. The savings made by the Pier Project have been calculated based on assessment of clients, their admitted drug usage and the types of crime they committed to fund their addiction. For example, if an addict needs £10 to buy some heroin, they will cost society £100 taking into account the real value of the items stolen, the police costs, hospital costs to victims, insurance costs et cetera.
Since the project started in November 2003, 64 prolific offenders have been put through the programme.
There are 30 clients on the project at the moment and all are at different stages. Some are still in prison serving their sentences, while others are in the community having completed treatment and got themselves homes and jobs.
The project is staffed by two fulltime police officers, Mark Hawkins and Carmel Ryan, as well as analyst Kelly Gibbons. It is led by DI Neil Claughton.
Mark said: "If someone is a prolific offender we will look at them and consider if they are suitable for the programme. If they are we will take them on. If they are not complying or continuing with their chaotic lifestyle and committing crime, we will make sure they get targeted."
There are three arms of the Pier Project - rehabilitate and resettle; catch and convict if they fail to comply; and prevent and deter, which focuses on working with younger people before their offending escalates.
The project works with a long list of agencies and partners including the Crime Reduction Initiative's Drug Intervention Programme, a doctor and drugs counsellor, Sharpe pre-treatment and day treatment, the Providence Project, Streetscene, Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, YMCA, PAS Ltd, DSS, Jobcentre Plus, Lansdowne College, Badsuf, the Probation Survive, DAT, Bournemouth Council and the police.
Last year the project was highlighted as an example of best practice by Home Office minister Tony McNutly for the way it deals with prolific and priority offenders.
And it has also had an impact on the crime figures.
Comparing the number of offences committed in Bournemouth between January 2000 and December 2003, before the project started, and January 2004 to December 2007, dwelling burglary has fallen by 36 per cent, commercial burglary by 25 per cent, robbery by 33 per cent and car crime by 44 per cent.
Mark said: "There are many other factors that can be attributed to this. The Pier Project is part of the whole division's strategy towards reducing drug-related crime. It fits in with the whole aim of Operation Dismantle."
DI Claughton said: "I genuinely believe if we can identify the right people who are committing the crimes that affect us most to fund their addition to class A drugs and we are able to offer appropriate levels of treatment and support, then we will have significant impact on reducing crime.
"If we are able to offer those people the right levels of support then we must have a significant impact on reducing their criminality. Because every hour these people are being supported means they are not committing crime. And when you look at the savings that the Pier Project has made in the few years it has been running I think you will agree that projects of this nature really do work."
7:00pm Sunday 9th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Rob Jamieson, Christchurch on 8:18pm Sun 9 Mar 08
I feel this is an excellent initiative. It is easy to dismiss drug addicts as dreadful people who prey on society to fund their habit. In fact, people who become addicted to hard drugs end up in a downward spiral into anti social behaviour including theft, burglary, robbery and prostitution. By stopping and reversing this spiral the addicts can reclaim their lives and society as a whole will benefit.
I feel this is an excellent initiative. It is easy to dismiss drug addicts as dreadful people who prey on society to fund their habit. In fact, people who become addicted to hard drugs end up in a downward spiral into anti social behaviour including theft, burglary, robbery and prostitution. By stopping and reversing this spiral the addicts can reclaim their lives and society as a whole will benefit.
Posted by: Clarance, Bournemouth on 8:34pm Sun 9 Mar 08
Mark Hawkins and team should receive national recognition for their outstanding work. The government should copy this project in every community that has a drug problem - talk about value for money!
We tend to forget that the police have a duty to prevent crime and here is a superb example of this role at work.
Take a bow Dorset Police - never mind the figures - it's lives that have been turned round - the 'criminal' and the victims.
Mark Hawkins and team should receive national recognition for their outstanding work. The government should copy this project in every community that has a drug problem - talk about value for money!
We tend to forget that the police have a duty to prevent crime and here is a superb example of this role at work.
Take a bow Dorset Police - never mind the figures - it's lives that have been turned round - the 'criminal' and the victims.
Posted by: philly, bournemouth on 9:08am Tue 11 Mar 08
Brilliant initiative, well done everyone. I was once told a particular area in Bournemouth had 2 young people removed by a conviction and by a family moving from the area, and the crime rate fell by 92%. The area had an air of tension about it & bad reputation, all because of the actions of 2 drug fuelled people. If these people can be taken in & returned to a proper civilised life then everyone wins. Thank you!
Brilliant initiative, well done everyone. I was once told a particular area in Bournemouth had 2 young people removed by a conviction and by a family moving from the area, and the crime rate fell by 92%. The area had an air of tension about it & bad reputation, all because of the actions of 2 drug fuelled people. If these people can be taken in & returned to a proper civilised life then everyone wins. Thank you!
Posted by: bigbrum, bournemouth on 6:56pm Thu 20 Mar 08
This sounds like another one of those government initiatives designed to massage the figures. I worked on the 'coming in out of the cold' initiative for rough sleepers a few years ago and saw that the tables of people sleeping rough in Bournemouth published by the government and fronted by louise casey were completely fabricated. We were asked to put people into bed and breakfast accommodation for one night when we did the rough sleeper counts. This was after they had changed the critera for what constituted a rough sleeper seveveral times in an effort to whittle down the numbers but still were not getting the results. Nothing is what it seems. I believe this is just the same old stuff under a new name.
This sounds like another one of those government initiatives designed to massage the figures. I worked on the 'coming in out of the cold' initiative for rough sleepers a few years ago and saw that the tables of people sleeping rough in Bournemouth published by the government and fronted by louise casey were completely fabricated. We were asked to put people into bed and breakfast accommodation for one night when we did the rough sleeper counts. This was after they had changed the critera for what constituted a rough sleeper seveveral times in an effort to whittle down the numbers but still were not getting the results. Nothing is what it seems. I believe this is just the same old stuff under a new name.
Posted by: Munkstar, Bournemouth on 4:11pm Mon 28 Apr 08
This has to be a continous process and as we have seen in the past normality prevails, cant they just keep up the good work year in year out?
This has to be a continous process and as we have seen in the past normality prevails, cant they just keep up the good work year in year out?
Posted by: RhiannonIOM, Douglas, Isle of Man on 12:52pm Sun 11 May 08
This is a brilliant scheme. Bournemouth is a beautiful place, I was brought up there for a while as a young person, and went back to uni, where I stupidly got involved in the Drug scene, and I was fortunate enough to get on a project with the Provident Scheme, but it was a long wait to get it, and othere than the bi monthly hour with my counsellor, and my script, that was it.
This is a wonderful idea, as the drug scene is rife and is in desperate need of help for addicts, with a veiw to accomodation and job prospects. I am now clean and working as a counsellor myself and its is very satisfying turning my bad experience into something that would hopefully help others in need.
Big up to you in Bournemouth, I hope it all goes well!!!
This is a brilliant scheme. Bournemouth is a beautiful place, I was brought up there for a while as a young person, and went back to uni, where I stupidly got involved in the Drug scene, and I was fortunate enough to get on a project with the Provident Scheme, but it was a long wait to get it, and othere than the bi monthly hour with my counsellor, and my script, that was it.
This is a wonderful idea, as the drug scene is rife and is in desperate need of help for addicts, with a veiw to accomodation and job prospects. I am now clean and working as a counsellor myself and its is very satisfying turning my bad experience into something that would hopefully help others in need.
Big up to you in Bournemouth, I hope it all goes well!!!
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