POLICE SCOTLAND’S GREATER GLASGOW DIVISION
By Police Constable Ross Jackson – Police Scotland, Local Authority Liaison Officer (Glasgow)
In the Community Justice Annual Report 2018-19 the new structural arrangements for Community Justice in Glasgow were outlined in an article ‘Connecting Community Justice – A New Home’. This set out the framework for Community Justice to operate with input from the Community Planning Partnership (Community Empowerment Services) and through the Safe Glasgow Partnership, which amongst other things has a role in scrutinising Local Policing Plans for the City.
These arrangements have strengthened the connections for Community Justice Glasgow, improving opportunities for more effective planning across these sets of arrangements and in delivering the shared outcomes set out in the Community Justice Outcome Improvement Plan.
A shared ambition and focus around addressing inequalities, breaking down the barriers to the opportunities that empower all of our citizens to be the best they can be, has been a key driver of both increased knowledge and understanding across the arrangements and true collaboration to deliver services that seek to redress the balance of inequality and the impact that this has on people’s lives – delivering the right services at the right time.
Over 2019-20 Police Scotland colleagues have continued to work in close partnership with some great results. Police Scotland’s Superintendent for Partnerships in Glasgow, Gary I’Anson, said:
“I am delighted to be given the opportunity to provide an update on some of the key areas of business ongoing with our partners, particularly around our commitment to protecting vulnerable people in our communities. In order to protect these people effectively we rely on working with partners and together help them become more resilient, reduce their offending and achieve better outcomes which is reflected in our Local Policing Plan and its priority of Protecting Vulnerable People.”
Positive Outcomes Project
The Positive Outcomes Project (POP) is a unique, partnership, outreach team that supports persistent offenders, aged 16 years and above, who reside within the Glasgow City boundary and commit crimes to sustain a dependency on alcohol and/or drugs.
“It has gave me structure and routine”
POP promotes and develops the new Greater Glasgow Drug Strategy. The team has recently recruited a new addiction worker increasing the opportunities for POP to take a Trauma Informed approach to engage with and support interventions and diversions from drug misuse and criminal behaviour.
“If I wasn’t’ attending POP, I’D be in the jail”
Over 2018-19 a Social Return on Investment Study (SROI), found that the POP produces a Social Value range of between £4.45 and £7.50 for every £1 invested. The study and its findings highlighted the value of Lived Experience input in delivering the service as a key element of its success and was used to support funding applications. POP was recently awarded funding from the CORRA Foundation, which will enable the Service to employ a further 2 Peer Mentors who will specifically offer support to those in police custodies.
“Working with POP has allowed me to know that there is someone out there that cares about me”
This will allow POP and G Division to include those with lived experience in tackling and supporting those detainees consumed in a cycle of offending behaviour and allow a public health approach to be applied to this area of policing. It will allow for developing new working partnerships and referral processes with the Glasgow Recovery Charities, Hubs and networks.
“POP has helped me to think differently and actually see my life change positively”
“I got my life back thanks to POP”
Hate Crime
Hate crime can be summarised as any crime motivated by hate of, or prejudice against, particular groups in society, or where the person shows prejudice or hostility towards a victim of crime because of their membership of a particular group. The Scottish Government defines Hate Crime as:
These crimes can be verbal or physical and have a hugely damaging effects on the victims, their families and communities.
Police Scotland understand that being a victim of hate crime can be a traumatising experience and there are various reasons why victims feel unable to approach the police directly. Therefore we work with Glasgow City Council to deliver training to the 3rd Sector and other partners who provide 3rd Party Reporting Centres. These partners often already have a relationship with the victim making it easier to tell their story and in turn allow the police to investigate thoroughly.
CLICK HER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HATE CRIME AND THIRD PARTY REPORTING (VIDEO) NO LINK
Working closely within the Community Justice Glasgow Partnership, provides opportunities to take a dual approach that supports the victims of hate crime, whilst having access to referral routes to a range of 3rd Sector Partners and commissioned services such as SACRO’s STOP Programme, to tackle the perpetrators’ underlying attitudes and behaviours that often motivate hate crimes. This is with a view to preventing radicalisation and further offending.
This approach is underpinned by a body of research and evidence such as Hate Crime: Causes, Motivations and Effective Interventions for Criminal Justice Social Work; Rania Hamad (2017) published by the Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ).
Tackling the underlying drivers of a person’s offending behaviour is one of the core pillars of the Community Justice approach. Getting to the root cause and tackling this can result in positive outcomes for the individual, communities that are impacted by this type of crime, and in reducing the risk that more people will become victims of that individual.
CLICK PICTURE TO FIND OUR MORE ABOUT SACRO STOP PROGRAMME
Working with Young People – Youth Inclusion & Engagement –
Police Scotland Youth Volunteers (PSYV)
Greater Glasgow’s Police Scotland Youth Volunteers continue their success in local communities providing a positive volunteer and learning environment for Glasgow’s young people. As part of this, young people are given a chance for their voice to be heard and are encouraged to promote good citizenship.
The programme takes a youth inclusion and engagement approach designed to encourage young people to develop new skills, self-esteem and self-confidence by volunteering in the communities of Scotland.
It is an early intervention approach which aims to boost positive links between young people and the Police and to promote good citizenship by encouraging young people to participate positively in their communities. This can lead to better decision making and open up other avenues of opportunity for the young people who get involved.
This is not about recruiting future Police Officers – it is about supporting the development of young people and making a difference to communities.
PSYV Greater Glasgow complete voluntary work in a variety of ways such as carrying out crime prevention leaflet drops, delivering food parcels and attending coffee mornings with the elderly which helps break down barriers between generations.
“Volunteering means a lot to me as I get the chance to give back to my community. Two years of hard work and fantastic volunteering opportunities later, I am now a Senior Youth Volunteer, with over 300 hours of volunteering completed. I am proud of all of my achievements and grateful for fantastic volunteering opportunities, none of which would be possible without PSYV”.
Wiktoria Maria Sapko, PSYV Glasgow
PSYV Glasgow’s hard work was rewarded this year by receiving the CrimeStoppers Youth Volunteer Award 2020 for their dedication and support to CrimeStoppers Fearless Campaigns including January’s Hate Crime Campaign which included supporting peer learning.
Our dedicated Officers who currently support the work of the PSYV
left to right – PC Michael Goldie, PC Kimberly Shannon, T/CI Janie Thomson Goldie, PS Siobhan Paterson
Contact Assessment Model (CAM)
Police Scotland has introduced a new way of assessing calls to its 101 and 999. Our new approach offers a wider range of options to provide assistance based on callers needs and circumstances. Making an effective assessment of threat, harm, risk and vulnerability when a person calls us is a key element of the changes we’ve made – ensuring we put the safety of those most in need at the heart of our decision making. Through CAM we now provide appropriate signposting or in some cases connect people direct to partner agencies.
Supporting Partners during Covid-19
There is not one person who has not been affected by Covid-19, however, along with other essential workers, we continued to support our communities throughout. As part of a partnership response, 11 non-operational Police Scotland officers assisted Glasgow City Council by making 4,200 calls to those most vulnerable who needed to remain inside their homes, making sure they had access to food, medication and financial and wellbeing support.
