Police CPI supports National Problem Solving Conference 2022

The theme of this year’s conference was diversity in problem solving, with the conference hearing from a plethora of problem solving subject matter experts and leaders in this field.

Guy Collyer, Head of the Police Crime Prevention Academy said: “This is always an excellent opportunity for specialists in problem solving to come together and exchange ideas and best practice. As policing moves forward during these challenging times, problem solving is becoming a critical factor in ensuring that police forces and their partners operate at the highest level and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour as much as possible.”

South Yorkshire Police delivers the Problem Solving and Crime Prevention Programme at a national level, with a vision of creating opportunities to reduce demand for both the police and partners by embedding a structured problem solving ethos and capability. The programme facilitates the National Problem Solving Conference annually.

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives

Police CPI is a police-owned, not for profit organisation that has worked diligently on behalf of the Police Service for over 30 years, creating, designing and accrediting crime reduction strategies in partnership with Government bodies, the Police, Local Authorities and industry across the UK at no cost to the Police Service or the public purse.

Established by the Police Service in 1989, Police CPI has developed into a major catalyst for organisations to work together to reduce and prevent crime. Co-located with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) at 10 Victoria Street, Chief Constable Martin Hewitt QPM, Chair of the NPCC, is the Chair of the Board of Directors. Fellow Chief Officers from around the UK are also part of Police CPI’s Board and provide strategic direction, as well as being champions for Police CPI’s crime prevention initiatives.

Working to support the Police Service achieve its crime reduction goals, Police CPI is an operational arm of preventative policing. Its CEO Guy Ferguson is a Portfolio Lead for the new NPCC Crime Prevention Committee chaired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.

Police CPI has built strategic relationships with UK Policing, Government Departments, Standards Authorities, Industry Trade Associations and Academia. Police CPI has close working relationships with NPCC National Leads and Committees, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Home Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure, National Counter Terrorism Security Office, Department for Culture Media and Sport, British Standards Institute, British Security Industry Association, Business Improvement Districts and Cyber Resilience Centres. Police CPI’s role as a facilitator between government, policing, industry and standards bodies mean that their work builds in crime prevention at the design stage of products and services and reduces the demand on policing.

Police CPI also work closely with the Home Office to provide a range of support for their initiatives like the Safer Streets Fund and Places of Worship (POW): Protective Security Funding Scheme.

Police CPI has a diverse mix of professional staff who have a variety of expertise in specialist subjects, many of whom have honed their range of skills during successful police careers. Coupled with the proficiency of staff who have had successful careers across a wide range of disciplines in the private sector, everyone has a passionate desire to serve by actively seeking ways to reduce criminality.

The extensive Police CPI portfolio covers a variety of crime prevention initiatives, including:

Secured by Design (SBD)

SBD works with the Government to embed crime prevention into the planning process and establish police security standards in the building and construction industry. SBD also operates an accreditation scheme on behalf of the UK Police Service for products or services that have met recognised security standards. These products or services – which must be capable of deterring or preventing crime - are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’.

SBD have recently launched a ‘Secure Connected Device’ accreditation for companies providing Internet of Things (IoT) connected products, with a focus on ensuring that such products and apps have the appropriate level of security in place so that consumers can use them in a safe manner and reduce the risk of a cyber breach.

Police Crime Prevention Academy

The Academy is the established crime prevention learning and development supplier to the UK Police, having assumed delivery of all crime prevention courses from the College of Policing in 2017. It is an approved centre for the awarding body ProQual, providing formally accredited qualifications in crime prevention, problem solving and designing out crime.

The Academy offer learning and development that will upskill officers and staff across a range of subjects, enabling them to effectively support the delivery of the National Crime and Policing Measures. As Government initiatives such as the Safer Streets Fund, Places of Worship and Violence Against Women and Girls continue to gain momentum, the Academy can provide all training needs as well as delivering bespoke events and webinars tailored to meet individual force or organisational needs.

Licensing Security and Vulnerability Initiative (Licensing SAVI)

Licensing SAVI is an online self-assessment tool that brings together advice and guidance that licensed premises need to meet the requirements of Responsible Authorities in England and Wales. It incorporates vulnerability and female safety as a key theme, physical security to prevent acquisitive crime, Counter Terrorism advice and several template policies to support better managed venues.

Licensing SAVI have been working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to support venues tackle the recent spiking trend, have written good practice guides and worked with behavioural scientists from the National Crime Agency to develop offender-focused materials, targeting those most likely to cause harm and moving away from ‘victim blaming’ campaigns. These materials are available in both English and Welsh language versions on the Licensing SAVI website.

The inclusion of the night-time economy criteria as part of the latest round of the Safer Streets Fund highlights the importance that the Government is attaching to vulnerability, crime and associated demand within licensed premises.