News
Commissioner for Victims makes her mark
Louise Casey, the new Commissioner for Victims, gave her inaugural speech on 20 July at the RSA. You can hear (and soon view) and read her concise, considered and compelling assessment of the lie of the land - your time will be well repaid. An early sign that Louise Casey may have the influence she will need was the fact that, though she was was the last appointee of the Labour Government, she was introduced and strongly supported by Nick Herbert MP the police and criminal justice minister for the coalition government.
Beneath the headlines - Welcome drop in street violence matched by troubling rise in victims hospitalised and leap in those mugged by people they know.
Click here to see our comment on the latest official crime statistics which came out on 16 July 2010.
Big society, big question?
More welcome attention on the walk-on-by culture is being generated by a new essay from the Royal Society of Arts called The Woolwich Model. This laments the British public's failure to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and proposes that the solution is to train traffic wardens, park keepers, milkmen and others in defusing and avoiding conflict. While we support the idea of training and tooling up public servants so they can do better and more fulfilling jobs, we are surprised such a policy reponse is being floated as a Big Society initiative.
In our view, there is a real risk that rather than remedy or correct the underlying walk-on-by culture, such a policy will entrench it. This is because it may well lead more people to assume it's the job or role of public servants to assert the sense of and safeguard our communities, rather than something that we can and should all do. The fact that the essay making this recommendation is subtitled "How citizens can tackle anti-social behaviour" suggests a degree of confusion or a lack of coherence. An interview we gave BBC London (at 1:21) explains our initial response to the report.
Whatever the reason for the confusion, those behind the essay include some of the brightest buttons from the strategy units in 10 Downing Street over the past decade and the fact that they are now joined in this debate can only be a good thing. On Monday July 19, the RSA will be holding a debate (to be broadcast on LBC) on the walk-on-by culture with Marrilyn Hebbron, Ken Livingston, Nick Ross and Matthew Taylor.
Walk-on-by
BBC Radio 4 broadcast a half hour programme focusing the walk-on-by culture and street violence on 28 June. It looks at truths and perceptions around this issue and, importantly, examines the psychology behind it. The programme's producer, Brian King, describes in the BBC Magazine the importance of these developments.
The programme is fronted by Nick Ross who, as well as being both an authority and commentator on crime, leads by example. Writing about the issues in the Sun he describes some of his own experiences and makes the important point that it's much more normal to be a good samaritan than people might expect. As Witness Confident says on the programme, this all shows the time is ripe to review the signals the system gives out that are discouraging people from their natural predisposition to be good citizens.
Crime & safety on London's streets
On 18 May the Annual London Survey was published. The good news is that 76% of Londoners feel very or fairly safe when walking outside alone in their neighbourhood in the evening (up from 60% in 2003) and 70% of people feel very or fairly safe using local buses at night (up from 56% in 2003). But a warning note is sounded by the finding that, as to their quality of life, 29% of Londoners say fear of physical attack is now a major or substantial problem (up from 22% in 2009). This is echoed in the issues Londoners want to be prioritised: crime & safety (42%) and policing (41%) came top by a long way, followed by traffic congestion (28%), affordable housing (16%) and job creation (16%). Talking to Petrie Hosken on LBC radio's The Whole Show, Witness Confident said that while London had become safer over the past decade, the survey makes clear there is no ground for complacency and that Londonders od not feel their streets are safe enough. The charity explained the steps it is taking to turn the tables on street crime, combat fear and give Londoners the confidence to do the right thing.
Evidence lost
On 9 May we publish the second edition of Evidence Lost. This contains the latest figures from the Home Office on witness satisfaction with the police. The edition also includes (a) a foreword from victims' groups calling for legal help for witnesses and victims; and (b) a new opening section which explains why street violence has such a particular impact on public concern about national crime rates and why this concern is fuelled more by informal networks than by media reports. Like the previous edition, the report reviews all key research on witness satisfaction and summarises the lively Have Your Say on "Would you report street crime?" that the BBC ran at the time the charity launched and includes over one hundred case studies drawn from that debate. The report also contains practical recommendations which - at no additional cost to public funds - will make our streets safer and restore confidence in the police, the justice system and our sense of community.
Public trust and crime statistics
The reason for the second edition is explained in this letter to the UK Statistics Authority about two experiences this charity has had using official crime statistics, seeking its assurance or guidance. On 27 April, we were sent a reply from Sir Michael Scholar KCB which prompted this thanks.
People stopped by police are more satisfied than witnesses
On 9 March we published the first edition of Evidence Lost, a report that reviews all the recent research about witnesses, public confidence and the police. The press release is here. To rebalance the criminal justice system which presently views the defendant as the primary customer, we recommend that ten pence in every pound the public spends on criminal legal aid should go toward legal help for witnesses and victims. We also recommend that the career and promotion prospects of police officers should take account of how they are rated by witnesses and victims. Following this Correction, the above exchange with the UKSA on the issue and the provision of updated statistics on witness satisfaction, the second edition of the report was published on 9 May.
Anonymity orders - "no magic bullet"
In advance of the introduction next month of new witness anonymity orders, BBC Radio 1 did a half hour special on gang crime on 1 March. We cautioned that the government and the police will be making a mistake if they see such orders as any type of magic bullet in tackling gangs. Our concern is that the over-use of such orders may simply entrench the alienation criminalised communities feel toward the police. This is because of a strong dislike of anonymity across Engish history coupled with confusion about snitching which is allowing thugs to suggest that anyone who contacts the police is a snitch.
Witness Confident urges the authorities to join with us and defend the moral high ground and work with communities so that more people will come forward openly and without fear. Only such a culture has any lasting chance of turning the tables on violent street crime. This is not fanciful because, as local groups like Mothers in Pain point out, nobody - not even criminals - like violent crime so there is common ground we can all be building on.
Welcome change from police as to walk-on-by culture
Following the tragic murder of Sukhwinder Singh on 8 January after he responded to a woman's plea and chased two muggers in Barking, the local police kept to the message that in such cases members of the public should do little other than call 999. We expressed our view that in practice this could amount to a muggers' charter and were pleased when a formal statement from the Met police broke with this message and said "people should not be deterred from intervening if they witnessed a crime as long as they put their own safety first". On BBC TV Breakfast News while expressing our view that the murder of a good citizen like Mr Singh was every bit as serious as the murder of a police officer in the line of duty, we flagged this welcome shift in emphasis when the former deputy police chief, John Stalker, commented that the message that the public should not engage was both stark and unhelpful.
We welcome the fact that in the past week the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has announced that he believes the police have been giving out the wrong message, that good citizens should be cherished and that "People have got to make a reasonable judgment but to actively discourage them from being responsible citizens is wrong". The significance of this shift was picked up by the BBC where we pointed out some of the things people can do that fell short of wading in and being a have-a-go hero. This shift in message then prompted a lively Have Your Say debate on 22-23 January.
Short Film
Watch our new film made for our schools and campaign work. Sincere thanks to Adam Evans and all the team who made it.
Public policy, the perils of indifference and street violence
On 9 December we published the above report containing original research on the views of the coming generation on street violence, the walk-on-by culture and the criminal justice system. The press release can be seen here and the report and orginal research here. The story has been picked up in the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, the Star and by Press Asociation.
Launch
On 9 September 2009, we launched. You can hear the interview on Radio 4 Today's programme and see the launch here - Witness Confident launch. Below you will find the press release.
The launch was also covered on the Jeremy Vine show, Five Live, BBC Breakfast, BBC New Channel, the BBC website and Sky News. Twelve regional radio shows used our launch to start debates on the walk-on-by culture and, nationally, Five Live’s Nicky Campbell did an inspiring one hour phone-in. The issue clearly struck a chord with the public, generating almost 1500 comments on the BBC website before the debate closed after a day and a half. In the national press, the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail covered the story.
Almost all the media ignored the peg used in our release (below) around the date – 9/9/9: 999 emergency call for witnesses. Instead most used as a peg our suggestion that local groups think about an idea - raised by some of the college students we had surveyed - of mock muggings and that these should be discussed with the police. As this suggestion was not mentioned in our release and only appears way down on our site deep in the community actions section, the prominence it was given helps to dispel the myth that all journalists are lazy.
PRESS RELEASE
Strictly embargoed to 00.01 hrs Wednesday 9/9/9
999 Emergency
Call for witnesses to reverse rise in street violence
If you were mugged on a busy high street, how confident are you that any of the people who witnessed the attack would give a statement to the police?
Contact: Guy Dehn - 0777 9486377
The recent rise in violent street attacks can only be reversed if more witnesses are given the confidence that they can make a difference, says Witness Confident the new charity launching today (9/9/9).
11% rise in street attacks last year
Drawing on the latest official figures, Witness Confident says that last year people were attacked by complete strangers some 850,000 times – an 11% increase from the previous year. Eight out of every ten times, the assault went unreported or unresolved and the attacker was left to carry on regardless. (details)
With a recent internal report from Scotland Yard revealing that only one in a thousand CCTV cameras will help convict a criminal each year, Witness Confident says this rising tide of street violence can only be turned by engaging the public when they witness these attacks.
Real campaigns, real help
Witness Confident will campaign that the Criminal Justice System should recognise witnesses as the eyes and ears of the community. The charity will pilot new solutions such as developing Google maps for witness alerts (details) and use new technology to simplify making statements.
Heralding this practical approach, the charity – for the first time in Britain – sets out guidance for people who witness street crime on how they can engage with the Criminal Justice System with minimum frustration (more).
Neil Svensen, chairman of Witness Confident, who has developed its identity and message explains “It was important to be involved with a charity which will make the system better and not just help people through the arrangements that operate now.”
Time to change the walk-on-by culture
The charity is confident that real progress can be made (Timeline). Guy Dehn, director of Witness Confident, says “Over the past year it has become increasingly clear that the frustration of the public is matched by the frustration of police officers, lawyers and judges about this walk-on-by culture.”
While welcoming the steps that have made things better for those few witnesses who do attend court, Mr Dehn observes “If we are going to tackle the root of this problem, we need to build up public confidence and stop stoking up people’s fears,” says Mr Dehn. “The fact is these days far too many people assume that if they take the trouble to get involved, it will just cause them grief”.
-Ends-
Notes to Editor
The charity’s launch is at 11 am on Wednesday 9th September. The launch will cover-
* The full picture about rising levels of street violence
* How the Criminal Justice System overlooks independent witnesses
* Why it is wrong to blame the media for public anxiety about crime
* What this charity will be doing to reverse these trends.
About Witness Confident
Witness Confident is a registered charity number 1131106. It has been set up to take a stand against the walk-on-by culture that fuels street violence, feeds fear and fractures communities. It is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Allen Lane Foundation and private donors and supporters including Rufus Leonard, the brand & digital media agency.