Crime prevention in Hackney

The London Borough of Hackney, situated in North East London, has been identified by the government as an area experiencing some of the highest crime rates in the UK. For example, the domestic burglary rate of 13/1000 of the population is over double the national average of 6.4/1000 of the population (Source: British Crime Survey). Presently there are approximately 92,000 households in this borough, with 3547 household burglaries committed in 2005-06 (Source: British Crime Survey). Attempted break-ins and domestic vandalism are also high. Furthermore, Hackney has hit the media headlines in recent months due to its association with gang culture, gun crime and high levels of other violent crime such as rape; the borough tops the UK rankings with 7 rapes per 10,000 people (Source: Reform). Understandably, personal safety and property protection are escalating concerns for local residents.

The Shoreditch/Hoxton area of Hackney has been identified as a particular crime hotspot by the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office.

Pinnacle, in conjunction with Hackney council, has provided housing management services to social housing estates for 9 years. Currently Pinnacle manages over 15,000 homes in the borough, and is the biggest provider of housing management services in the area. We oversee the housing estates in the crime hotspot area of Shoreditch, as well as further estates in Stamford Hill and Clapton Park.

Pinnacle works closely with the local police and residents’ groups to combat crime on these estates and increase the level of security in people’s homes. We particularly focus on the vulnerable and under-represented sectors of society, such as the elderly, single mothers and unemployed. Our work derives from a real care about the communities in which we work. We know our residents personally, we care about their welfare, and we are determined and dedicated to improve the environments in which they live: increasing security and reducing risk is at the top of our agenda.

In Hackney, measures such as newly installed CCTV cameras, secure fencing of exposed areas, intercom systems and Gerda security locks have been orchestrated by Pinnacle in conjunction with the local authority and residents associations. A warden scheme has also been set up by Pinnacle with Hackney council in the Shoreditch area. This is used to patrol the neighbourhoods and monitor anti social activity, and act as a community support mechanism.

As an innovative organisation, Pinnacle constantly strives to find new and improved ways to protect and educate its communities.

Studies have shown over the years that the most powerful deterrent for any criminal is the thought that they might get caught. With this in mind, Pinnacle’s aim was to source a new, state of the art product, or range of products, which would discourage local criminals from targeting property and individuals.

Pinnacle heard that the Hackney Police were attempting to pilot a new crime prevention initiative in Shoreditch. This took the form of a high-tech property marker fluid. The property marker is a fluid containing millions of microscopic ultra-violet particles that make up a forensic fingerprint. The solution is painted onto valuable or easily re-movable household items. This leaves a property identification code containing the owner’s details which is virtually impossible to remove, and very easy to trace; the marks glow in the dark. Stickers are placed on the property to show that they have been treated with the fluid. Posters are also placed in the local vicinity to warn potential criminals that this crime prevention measure is being used by residents.

Metropolitan Police trials of the product in commercial properties had already proved to be a success with a visible reduction in crime after the solution was applied. For example, in the borough of Sutton, Police have noted a 31% reduction in attempted break-ins since trialling the UV-sensitive forensic marker. On average, over all trials of the product, burglary rates have dropped by 60%.

In order to market the product in the Shoreditch area, the police held two open days to enable residents to collect their own free property marker kit, and to access crime prevention information and advice. However, their efforts were generally not noticed by the local community, and less than ten people attended either of the open days.

Pinnacle has good relationships with many of the local Shoreditch residents. Our name is widely advertised throughout the estates on signs and posters and we are the first point of call for many of the residents. As Pinnacle runs the local neighbourhood office, residents trust our staff and find our dedicated customer services team and housing managers to be approachable. Pinnacle recognised that it could use its standing within the community to deliver the product and advice more effectively to its audience; the residents.

Pinnacle saw the property marker as a good product which had the potential to make a significant difference to the security of residents’ property and their personal safety. It was also felt that a number of other crime prevention and safety services could be offered in conjunction with this property marking scheme to offer a ‘package’. This package could then be tailored to meet the specific needs of the community and its unique demographic make-up.

Our Shoreditch package included:

Due to the strong and non-threatening relationship between Pinnacle and the residents, it was felt that the most effective way to offer the information was on a one-to-one basis in the residents’ own surroundings. Posters were put up around the neighbourhoods and on block notice boards to let residents know that Pinnacle representatives would be visiting them with information and contact telephone numbers. Following this, the Wardens and a Pinnacle Manger went round and visited as many of the homes as possible. Pinnacle accessed nearly 750 homes during the first wave of the scheme in the last quarter of 2006. 628 households allowed us to apply the property marker solution on their valuables and we helped 39 residents take advantage of the Help the Aged Handyman scheme. The table below shows the statistics in full (Figure 1.).

Since this time, police have noticed a drop in crime in the area and we expect the initiative to receive very positive feedback after the first year.

We are excited by the future potential of the ‘package’ initiative. We believe that it can be targeted to communities’ unique requirements. For example, in an area that experiences a high robbery rate, advice and contact information can be offered to help prevent people becoming a victim. This system could also be tied into governmental initiatives – such as www.immobilise.com which offers individuals the opportunity to register their mobile phones online, so if they are stolen, they can be tracked down and retrieved easier.

We have also identified many victims of crime as potentially ‘vulnerable’, be it by age, gender or circumstance. The ‘package’ each individual receives can be tailored to their specific needs. Information and advice can be given regarding a host of opportunities, educational resources and community integration projects that can assist the ‘vulnerable’ becoming less vulnerable, and thus reduce the likelihood of them becoming repeat victims.

This scheme also has the potential to go beyond purely that of crime prevention. We see a major opportunity to avert fire risk by combining fire prevention initiatives, such as the installation of smoke detectors, with our existing crime prevention ‘package’. We have the trained resources, capabilities and relationships with local organisations, such as the Fire Service, to be able to successfully implement this on a national scale.

The flexibility that the initiative and ‘package’ allows, and Pinnacle’s expertise at dealing with the public is an excellent combination; one which local organisations and, more importantly, the residents are already appreciating. We see this winning combination as a key tool in increasing community integration and quality of life for our residents, something that cannot be hampered by its national implementation.