Sandra McNiven, Head of Specialist Programmes at Police CPI, explains how her team is driving innovation in crime prevention through collaborative initiatives.
As the Head of Specialist Programmes, I am responsible for leading a dedicated team in the strategic development and delivery of a wide-ranging portfolio of crime prevention initiatives.
Our work provides critical support to both policing and local communities.
This broad portfolio encompasses both traditional crime prevention methods and forward-thinking programmes that require close collaboration with industry to address and mitigate new and emerging crime trends through innovative, bespoke solutions.
My team have several exciting projects which they’re working on that if successful will have a significant impact upon not only crime reduction, but equally investigations and the identification of offenders.
Two of these key initiatives are:
As a result of the significant increase of fuel thefts from garage forecourts, my team were approached by the DVLA, Home Office and the National Business Crime Centre to develop a police approved standard that would accredit cost recovery agencies for the use of the DVLA’s KADEO API.
This scheme accredits cost recovery agencies to use the DVLA’s KADOE API, replacing time-consuming paper applications.
Our team wrote the standard, which includes checking an organisation’s suitability, professionalism and staff vetting before accreditation.
This initiative enables the earlier identification of offenders, improves cost recovery and allows us to proactively share details of organised fuel thefts with the police.
The Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS) are crucial, legislated mechanisms that forge a direct partnership between policing and the private security industry in the interest of public safety.
These schemes facilitate a robust police partnership by enabling accredited staff, often drawn from private security firms and other organisations, to be granted limited police powers.
This significantly increases the uniformed presence in public spaces and on the rail network, providing an essential resource that demonstrably helps to reduce crime and tackle anti-social behaviour.
Drawing on over 20 years of operational delivery experience, our team of national subject matter experts is now supporting ACC Gilmer, the NPCC National lead, in the relaunch of CSAS and the preparation of a new, nationally impactful CSAS Standard.
We are uniquely positioned, benefiting from Chief Officer representation from every UK country on our board.
This strong link provides us with crucial access and support from key policing leads to develop initiatives.
My team maintains excellent professional relations across forces, from front-line officers to senior managers.
This ensures we have a realistic understanding of current crime trends and local nuances, enabling us to adopt and promote best practices.
By conducting in-depth explorations and analysis of emerging criminal trends, we can design and implement crime prevention solutions that are not only effective but also agile and tailored to the specific needs of the communities we serve, ultimately leading to a measurable reduction in harm caused by offenders.
However, as a former police officer and trained Designing Out Crime Officer, I ensure my team maintains focus by constantly asking: “What difference will this really make to local police or victims?” This question drives the value of our work within Police CPI.
This article was originally published in the November edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
