Tackling Organised Crime Through a Partnership Approach at the Local Level: A Process Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 235618
• Author(s): Lauren van Staden; Samantha Leahy-Harland; Eva Gottschalk
• Date Published: July 2011
• Length: 46 pages
• Sale Source: Great Britain Home Office
• Publication Format: Document (Online); Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: Home Office Research Report 56

Annotation

This report presents the main findings of a process evaluation of the 12 pilot sites in England and Wales that implemented Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) as a means of countering organized crime.

Abstract

The pilot areas described the local organized crime problems as consisting of gang activity and the distribution of illegal drugs. In most of the pilot areas, the police were responsible for administering the program in the early stages of implementation; however, a common perception of interviewed stakeholders was that in order for the pilots to be maintained and improved over time, an equal balance of responsibility across partners was needed as the process matured. The way in which partnership approaches evolved in each site varied significantly. Still, approaches in the pilot areas tended to have four components in common. These were the identification of organized-crime targets, the engagement of partners, the sharing of information among partners, and partnership activity based on shared information. Regarding strategies for developing partnerships, two areas adapted existing partnership structures; four areas introduced new partnership arrangements that focused on targeted organized-crime enterprises; four built partnerships around existing strategies for countering organized crime; and two sites built a partnership from existing arrangements for Integrated Offender Management. Details are provided on the identification of targets, information sharing, taking action against targets, and perceived benefits of the partnership approach. The report recommends the creation of a toolkit for partnerships that outlines the role of different partners in countering organized crime at the local level. It also recommends the creation of a standardized information-sharing protocol template that can be adapted for use by local areas. In addition, consideration should be given to additional research on how the pilot program will be implemented when a partnership approach is introduced across force areas. 28 references