Manchester's community-based policing programme
Improved communication with communities is essential if Police Forces are to close the gap between perceived and actual levels of crime, a key challenge also identified in a recent Home Office crime report
To truly protect and engage with a community, any Police Authority must first understand each community's unique social structures and crime problems.
A recent study by SPSS, an IBM company, conducted among members of the Association for Chief Police Officers (ACPO) revealed that closer links with local communities is the top priority for almost 30 per cent of members, more than both crime prevention and detection. Improved communication with communities is essential if Police Forces are to close the gap between perceived and actual levels of crime, a key challenge also identified in a recent Home Office crime report [1].
But without improving methods of consultation with communities and, more importantly, how the data they acquire from consultation is analysed, the success of any community-based programme could be uncertain.
Correct analysis of attitudes, opinions and experiences from the public is essential in better understanding public needs and identifying important trends. In turn, this not only increases community cooperation in investigations, but leads to greater overall support for public safety.
As with many forces throughout the UK, consultation is a statutory function of the Greater Manchester Police and is conducted throughout the year. The Police Authority's Consultative Team (PACT) is responsible for drawing up consultation plans for each local area, and reporting on community concerns, safety, crime, and disorder.
As part of the National Reassurance Project working in the St. Mary's and Failsworth West Wards of Oldham Metropolitan Borough, GMP sent a survey to 9,000 households in order to establish a community-based policing program. The concept focused on identification of "signal crime."
Historically, GMP had been using a low-level paper system and Microsoft Excel, which had proved unfruitful due to Excel's limited analysis capabilities. The non-automated data input procedure proved too resource-hungry. GMP required a solution that would not only find answers to questions that basic database and spreadsheet packages would miss, but also make the data entry faster and more reliable.
By implementing sophisticated Predictive Analytics software from SPSS, GMP aimed to gather a wide range of public views on area policing that could be incorporated into the National Reassurance Project. The questionnaires were created within the SPSS system and the responses were scanned in electronically, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Successful completion of the survey project brought forward 400 persons who were willing to work with the police force to deliver problem-solving initiatives in the relevant two wards—particularly relating to actions to stop youth offences and anti-social behaviour.
The SPSS solution has enabled GMP to reduce cost and time spent on survey research and analysis, as well as become a model organisation for other police forces to follow.
Not only did GMP benefit from a massive reduction in person time for this project, saving approximately €20,000 in two weeks, but these results are now being referenced by other Greater Manchester Police divisions as contributions to 'efficiency savings' required by government.
The SPSS scanning process and capability to drill down into public consultation survey data has become a bedrock on which the project can move forward. As a result, the survey and analysis capability has impressed several partners who have now fully bought into the National Reassurance Project in Oldham.
Emma Bennett
Email: ebennett@spss.com
Website: www.spss.com
