West Midlands Police
4th International Evidence
Based Policing Conference
‘The Turning-Point Project’:
Testing Offender Desistance Policing
Insp. Jamie Hobday
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
We recognise:
• The implications of the theory
• The benefits of better collaboration with
academia
• The benefits of evidence-based policy
• The value of innovation
• The potential for improvement
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Our Values:
We put the public first in everything we do
We act with integrity, fairness and humanity
We are one team working together
We listen, learn and strive to improve
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
What do we hope to achieve?
• Reduce the harm
done to and within
our communities
• Reduce the number
of victims
By:
• Maximising the
impact of limited
public funds
• Being truly
intelligent in the way
we prioritise, assess
and manage risk,
threat and harm
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
English Justice System
•
•
•
•
•
•
Police Arrest on suspicion
Police Investigate
Prosecution decision shared 50/50
Police power to divert from prosecution
Independent (Crown) Prosecution Service
Independent Judiciary: trial and sentence
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Decision making
Seven filters/factors:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prosecution
Admission
Sensitive case
Previous convictions
Likely sentence
Safety check
Victims’ wishes
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
The Filters/Factors
• Prosecution
– Sufficient evidence
– Other options
discounted
• Admission
– Not required
• Likely sentence
– Not custodial
• Previous convictions
– None
– Previous diversions
• Sensitive case
– Risk management
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
• Victim’s Wishes
A sliding scale of weighting:
From victim led for sensitive cases
to….
Victim consulted for
less sensitive cases
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Randomisation
• Splits eligible subjects
into one of two
groups:
– take part, or
– control group
• Impartial process
• Cannot be affected by
operator
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
The ‘Cambridge Randomiser’
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
The ‘Turning-Point Plan’
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
What’s Involved?
• Voluntary
participation
• Non-compliance
– Failure to keep to plan
– Reoffending
• Agreed ‘TurningPoint Plan’
Breach
• Compliance =
no prosecution
Prosecution
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Targeted Risk Level
Low Risk (60%)
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Two Essentials: First
‘The Sword
of Damocles’ i.e. threat of
prosecution
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Two Essentials: Second
‘The conversation’
Impact
Consequences
Opportunity
Responsibility
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Endless Possible Tactics…
• Home visits
• Voluntary treatment
–
–
–
–
Drug misuse
Alcohol misuse
Psych. Trauma
Therapy
• Engagement with
support services
• Reporting in
• Curfew
• Restrictions on
movement
• Restorative Justice
• Reparative activity
• Drug testing
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Key Elements of Police Activity
Celerity
Police can respond quickly,
or even immediately, by
beginning the activity in
custody
Consequence
Conditions will have to be
completed, enforcement
will be rigorous
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
“It’s your choice…”
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
End of presentation,
thank you for listening
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer
West Midlands Police
Force Values:
• Public First
• Integrity
• One Team
• Listen,
Learn,
Improve
Our vision is to reduce crime and disorder and make our communities feel safer