Safer Neighbourhoods public information dissemination

Report: 7
Date: 6 July 2006
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update on the progress on how the Central Safer Neighbourhood Team is working with locally based Safer Neighbourhood teams in disseminating information to local communities.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members note the content of this report with specific reference to the progress to date in developing a comprehensive and consistent public information dissemination strategy for all Safe Neighbourhood Teams.

B. Supporting information

1. We now have 630 Safer Neighbourhoods teams across London. These teams undertake extensive engagement, consultation and feed back activity to the community who live and work within their respective neighbourhoods and it is vital they do not rely on a single method of community engagement. They therefore use personal meetings, public meetings, door knocking, Key Individual Networks, leafleting and indeed any method which is appropriate for their neighbourhood and communities. What is important is that they establish a list of issues that are most effecting peoples quality of life and feelings of safety in that area. Safer Neighbourhoods teams will then update their community in a similar fashion around team details, crime performance, problem solving initiatives undertaken, good news stories, corporate information, crime prevention advice etc.

2. From April 2006 there has been 1,896 pre-planned meetings held across London in order to engage with local people. These meetings are advertised locally in newspapers, leaflet drops, shop windows, Local Authority web sites and by word of mouth. 26,594 people have attended these meetings. During the same period we have held 194 street briefings that are coordinated by leafleting a specific location inviting the community to meet the local police team to discuss issues of a local concern. This method of engagement is proving very popular and one that is being encouraged by the Central Safer Neighbourhood Unit as best practice.

3. The Central Safer Neighbourhoods Media and Communications team is in place to provide support, advice and guidance to Borough Press Liaison Officers and Safer Neighbourhoods teams officers, and to drive forward proactive communications including media handling, publicity, e-communications, internal and stakeholder communications, and Safer Neighbourhoods strategies and campaigns. The central team is set up in such a way that any queries from teams can be facilitated through a Safer Neighbourhoods help desk and directed to the respective portfolio lead. This enables issues to be dealt with very quickly and effectively. This is a point of contact that all our teams are aware of and make use of. We have introduced a Safer Neighbourhoods intranet site, which makes available a wide range of supportive materials and information. Communications advice and support materials are provided including tool kits. These tool kits provide key messages, press releases, poster and letter templates to support both campaigns and launches and the core engagement work carried out by the teams. The central team also makes available corporate publicity materials, such as leaflets, posters and display stands which can support local activities. Each team has been given a CD-Rom that provides an internal and external presentation on Safer Neighbourhoods that can be used at community and partner meetings.

4. The central Safer Neighbourhoods Media and Communications team also works closely with the DPA who provides 24-hour media support, media training and corporate publicity that supports local communication activities.

5. The central Media and Communications team provides support to Borough Press Liaison Officers (BPLOs), who are crucial in supporting and actively publicising the work of the teams at a very local level. BPLOs are invited to regular forums to update them on the programme, communication resources, initiatives and key Safer Neighbourhoods messages that allow them to implement their local media and communication strategies.

6. SNTs adopt a proactive approach to keeping our communities informed of progress and of any issues that have arisen. These methods of dissemination to local residents include distributing newsletters, leaflets and posters to the public, their homes, businesses and at various community events. The Safer Neighbourhoods team can and do distribute these leaflets but we are now seeing the local community, in some areas, taking this on in partnership with their local team. We also use our volunteer cadets and special constables that further increase our visibility and accessibility within the community. Other engagement and face-to-face communication that takes place is through the ward panels, street briefings and Key Individual Networks (KIN). Safer Neighbourhoods information is also delivered through partnership and numerous problem-solving initiatives. Borough newsletters and Internet sites are also used to relay local information around good news stories, team contact details and performance. Some boroughs are also linked into local radio stations in order to disseminate information. Ringmaster is a telephone messaging service that some boroughs use to publicise ward meetings, items of interest and information to the local community.

7. Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs) fully appreciate that promotion of SN is not simply about investing in local media relations. Whilst this is important to the programme, Safer Neighbourhoods teams also require practical public relations assistance – such as producing newsletters, email updates, posters, leaflets or arranging open days.

8. There are also a range of promotional products including pens, mugs and fridge magnets that carry the team’s contact details. These work as an effective engagement tool and also as a method of delivering the team’s contact details and referring people to the Safer Neighbourhoods website for further information.

9. Information is provided by local teams in a variety of ways and as the programme rolls out we are seeing more and more innovative ways of teams keeping their communities informed. All of our Safer Neighbourhoods team officers attend a five-day training course where community engagement and communication is a fundamental part. This course gives them the tools in being effective in the sharing of information locally. Each sergeant has been briefed on the various methods as described under paragraphs 1 and 2 above. With regards the frequency of providing local information we have left this decision to the individual teams and will be determined by what is happening locally and what works best to service their community’s requirements.

10. The Metropolitan Police website displays the contact numbers for each Safer Neighbourhood across London. Crime data at ward level is also available. We have instructed every Safer Neighbourhoods sergeant to ensure that their local community is aware of this.

11. The Safer Neighbourhoods Media and Communications Strategy is being reviewed to support the key findings and recommendations of the recent MPA/MPS Safer London Panel Communication Matters research report that was conducted in January 2006. This supports our continued drive to localise information and improve upon its delivery. Safer Neighbourhoods sergeants will be provided with additional communications awareness to develop their ability to produce newsletters and other publicity materials and increase their skills and understanding of working with the local media.

12. Safer Neighbourhoods is a multi-million pound programme that is changing the way that London is policed and there is a significant investment in ongoing advertising and publicity of the programme and its successes. Safer Neighbourhoods can only work if Londoners are aware of its existence. Londoners deserve to know that there is a dedicated Safer Neighbourhoods team on every ward in London and each Safer Neighbourhoods team has been given a media budget to do just that.

13. The Communications and Marketing strategy is attached as Appendix 1.

C. Race and equality impact

1. Although materials are not produced in different formats as a matter of course, we do ensure that our staff are aware of the need to consider the community and their needs. This includes ensuring that teams know that they can get assistance and advice in obtaining information in different formats from DPA’s Publicity Branch. As a result of this we have recorded a leaflet into an audio format and provided it in a large font size following a specific request. Several teams have also produced work in different languages in order to engage with specific communities in their ward.

2. There is currently no corporate policy on making information available in alternative formats such as other languages or in Braille, Easy Read, etc. However, DPA is working on an accessible formats project that aims to produce a corporate policy on how all MPS staff can make information available in alternative formats. The policy will also advise on the mandatory requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act.

D. Financial implications

In 2005/06 every Safer Neighbourhoods team received a local PR and marketing budget of £1.5k to pay for ad hoc local publicity materials. Though locally held by F&R managers, this budget will require quarterly spending returns to be completed and submitted to the Safer Neighbourhood central team to account to the GLA and MPA the use of the budget.

E. Background papers

• Safer Neighbourhoods Communications and Marketing Strategy - June 2006

F. Contact details

Report author: Mellissa Dorrell, Safer Neighbourhoods Media & Communications Manager, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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