NCJ Number
198300
Date Published
July 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This briefing note identifies practical lessons in multiagency cooperation that were learned from the experiences of the British project that focused on interagency cooperation in reducing the burglary rates in selected jurisdictions.
Abstract
In 1998 the British Home Office announced that 250 million pounds would be spent on developing and implementing an integrated approach to reducing crime and making communities safer. The first phase of this program funded 63 projects in areas that had consistently experienced at least twice the national burglary rate over the past 3 years. All of the projects that have been monitored have had over 18 months to implement the project plans they submitted to the Home Office. This paper focuses on the lessons learned in attempting to make partnerships work in the areas of organization and management. Project impacts will be considered in subsequent papers. First, the analysis concludes that joint ventures should be adequately resourced. Minimally, this should involve allowing staff the time to participate fully in partnership meetings and mandating operational staff to prioritize the work to be done. Second, responsibility for determining and monitoring objectives should be separated from the responsibility for their implementation. This is most easily achieved by establishing a steering group to oversee the project. Third, the steering group must be genuinely consultative, and representatives from statutory organizations should be sufficiently senior to make decisions about resource allocation. Finally, the implementation leader and his/her team should report to the steering group but not be involved in the steering group's operation, so as to ensure that the steering group maintains its independence in monitoring the project's progress. 7 references