Housing trust's enforcement unit helps halve gun crime across Knowsley

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Local Government

A housing trust is helping to reduce anti-social behaviour in Knowsley.

Knowsley Housing Trust’s Tenancy Enforcement Unit (TEU), together with partner agencies in the Safer Knowsley Partnership, reduced various forms of nuisance behaviour and crime across the borough last year, some by as much as 50 per cent.

Last year the unit helped to halve gun crime across Knowsley through a focused firearms initiative with Merseyside Police that started three years ago.

It has led to the number of firearm discharges across Knowsley dropping from 28 in 2009/10 to 14 in 2010/11. (Figures from KHT and Merseyside Police)

The TEU tackles crime and anti-social behaviour, supports victims and perpetrators, and pursues legal enforcement where necessary.

The unit works closely with the Safer Knowsley Partnership, comprised of the police, local authority, probation service, social services, domestic abuse and family intervention projects.

KHT tenancy enforcement and litigation manager Emma Roberts said: “It is fantastic that our hard work with partner agencies is paying off and creating safer communities for our customers.”

Police figures show the number of reported crimes in the area has reduced by 18.4 per cent since 2008, from 12,989 to 10,596 in 2010.

Anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the police have reduced by 47 per cent since 2006 –reducing from 15,913 to 8,469 in 2010.

The TEU becomes involved where tenants have ignored a number of warnings or where there is violence, serious criminal damage, drugs or firearms.

Last year the team secured 16 Notices Seeking Possession, which start legal proceedings to evict a tenant if warnings from housing officers have been ignored. These led to three evictions.

They secured six anti-social behaviour injunctions and five suspended possession orders - where a Notice Seeking Possession leads to court and the judge decides to grant a possession order to seize the house, but suspend it for a period of time. If the tenant does not reoffend in that time the case for eviction is reviewed.

Intervention from the TEU can lead to a prison sentence, for example where an anti-social behaviour injunction is persistently breached.

Emma said: “We always have to balance the need to protect our communities, while also supporting perpetrators to change their behaviour and allowing them to stay in their homes. Eviction is always a last resort.

“We can put perpetrators in touch with support services, either for drug or alcohol problems or where they need parenting support or have mental health needs.

“Ideally we do want people to stay in their properties because it creates a more stable environment for them to change their behaviour, but if they are causing serious distress in the community we will evict them.

“The feedback we receive from our partner agencies is that the threat of losing their home is often what will make a person change their behaviour.”