Operation Banger 2016

In the lead up to Mischief Night, Halloween and Bonfire Night, a multi-agency led approach towards positive youth engagement highlighted a number of ways of reducing reported anti-social behaviour (ASB), criminal damage and secondary fires.

The aim of this combined approach was to ensure up-to-the-minute sharing of intelligence on risk within the community and to support an efficient and effective deployment of resources for all partners involved in the reduction of deliberate fires, with the ultimate goal being the prevention of anti-social behaviour.

This period is now emerging as one of the busiest times for the Police and Fire Services throughout . It is causing considerable pressure on resources across the Wirral.

Criminal Damage Hotspot – St James Secondary Fires – Tranmere Hotspot

A2 ASB hotspot Central Park A4 hotspot – New Ferry

These locations are reported by the Police, Fire Service and Anti-Social Behaviour Team as ‘hotspot’ areas and therefore have the most reports of ASB, Criminal Damage and Secondary Fires.

Sports Development was tasked with co-ordinating a programme of activities, with key dates being in October and November. We designed an activity matrix in a number of key areas across the Wirral, including: Mersey Park, Central Park, Ilchester Park, New Ferry Park, Central Park and Tower Grounds New Brighton. The brief was to try to engage targeted groups of young people in positive diversionary activities in the run up towards ‘Operation Banger’. We began delivering sporting interventions in the lead up to the main period from September onwards.

Using coaches (Sports Development) and the Sportsmobile as a delivery model, we identified which activities we could realistically offer. Where possible, we operated in partnership with the Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Wirral Youth Service and Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team, using intelligence-led reports of ASB and Fires which meant we were directed to the areas requiring the most attention.

Sportsmobile at Ilchester Park MUGA

The Sportsmobile is equipped with a 3000 watt lighting rig that can be telescopically deployed to illuminate a multiuse games area or similar. During this busy period, it enabled activities to take place in areas without means of lighting and provided the ideal solution to the MUGA (multi-use games area). Crucially, the Sportsmobile allowed us to operate during the evening, when anti-social behaviour peaks. This coincided with an initiative funded by ‘Streetgames. Doorstep Clubs’ that enabled us to provide positive and diversionary activities where they had previously been lacking.

• POSITIVE: We are now able to be directed to specific areas by the anti-social behaviour governance groups (ASBGG) to provide positive youth engagement in areas of high reported anti-social behaviour, giving the solution to a particular problem. This approach ensures;

’RIGHT TIME’ ► We are able to deploy diversionary activities at times when they are needed most.  ‘RIGHT PLACE’ ► We are based in an area (usually a MUGA), right on the doorstep where the young people ‘hang-out’. ‘RIGHT STYLE’ ► Our approach has a consistent track record of engaging young people from a wide range of contrasting backgrounds.

• POSITIVE: ‘Operation Banger’, throughout the period of Mischief Night, Halloween and Bonfire Night, our planned interventions in an effort to reduce anti-social behaviour, the setting of deliberate fires, perceived nuisance behaviour and low level crime.

• POSITIVE: We received funding from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, , Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Governance Group and Constituency funding which allowed Sports Development to deliver positive diversionary activities throughout the period of Mischief Night, Halloween and Bonfire Night throughout October and November.

• POSITIVE: Partnership working ……. The Sports Development team have delivered a range of diversionary activities in partnership with a host of partner agencies including the Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, Wirral Anti-Social behaviour team and Wirral Youth Service throughout the Operation Banger period.

• POSITIVE : Volunteering … our volunteers from the StreetGames volunteer programme were crucial in assisting us with the delivery of our sessions, with a total of 8 volunteers who gave up to 75 hours of their time to help us out over this period.

• NEGATIVE: Funding ….. the nature of this year’s funding meant that we were only able to deliver our activities ‘offer’ over a four week period throughout ‘Operation Banger’. Obviously, we are very grateful to the relevant funders but this has meant that we have been reacting to the problem rather than being able to have a proactive approach.

• NEGATIVE: Short term solution …… the focus on this year’s SDU activity plan was focussed on a short term ‘quick fix’ solution to the problem. In order to offer a more attractive offer to the young people of Wirral a more planned and sustained offer, funding should be attributed in a longer lead up to engage more young people in the process.

• POSITIVE: Attendance and engagement….. (see table attached below.) Attendances have been shown below with a total of 375 males and 137 females, totalling 512 young people across 10 ‘hotspot’ locations. We estimate this at over 1,0000 hours Engagement.

Panoramic view photograph of Ilchester Park MUGA.

StreetGames funded Door Step Club

Quote from Merseyside Fire and Rescue:

“ My name is Michael Buratti and I am an Arson Officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS). I am the lead officer on the Wirral for MFRS for Operation Banger. Throughout Operation Banger and the bonfire period, MFRS annually experience an increase in deliberately started anti-social behaviour fires. In a bid to reduce the number of incidents that MFRS attend, a partner agency initiative is implemented. Part of this initiative is youth engagement activities. On Wirral, we mainly utilise the Wirral Council Sports Development Team to carry out these activities. The Sports Development Team are an important and integral part of the plans that we put in place. Via a Youth Sub Group, up to date “hotspot” locations are identified were the Sports Development Team can target with positive sporting activities for young people. I keep in regular contact with Colin Hunt from Sports Development over Operation Banger and the sessions the team run are fluid and are able to be changed at short notice as “hotspots” change. The areas targeted by the Sports Development Team experienced minimal amounts of anti-social behaviour related fires over the Operation Banger period. As the MFRS lead for this initiative, I will be pushing for funding to be made available early next year to assist with planning activities in advance.”

Michael Buratti Arson Officer – Wirral

Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) in Birkenhead funded by the Birkenhead Constituency.

Quote from Merseyside Police:

‘ I am Sergeant Mike Lawrence, I have been involved in partnership work within Wirral for the past six and a half years from the perspective of Merseyside Police. As part of my role I have coordinated and implemented Operation Stay Safe on the peninsula. This operation targets risk taking behaviour in regards to young people and involves a multi-agency approach. One of the busiest periods of the year when we roll out the operation is during the Operation Banger period, surrounding Halloween and Bonfire night. The Sports Development Unit have been an integral partner to this operation since it began, they provide a wide range of positive and diversionary activities for our young people during the operations but more importantly provide a legacy of activity beyond the influence of the operations to keep the young people of Wirral engaged. This undoubtedly has a positive effect on levels of criminality and the prevalence of anti-social behaviour. ‘ Mike Youth Justice Sgt Sgt 1183

Attendance Figures from SDU sessions over Operation Banger 2016

Operation Banger 2016 Attendances Attendances Attendances Total per site Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Llandegla (Wednesday x 6 sessions) 10 8 18 4 8 0 36 12 Funder Sport

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Ilchester Park (Thursday x 5 sessions) 6 0 24 0 10 0 40 0 Funder Birkenhead Constituency

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Tower Grounds (Thursday x 5 sessions) 0 0 23 9 12 0 35 9 Funder ASBGG and MFRS

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Mersey Park (Sunday x 1 session) 16 6 10 10 0 0 26 16 Funder ASBGG

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Wallasey Central Park (Friday x2 sessions) 0 0 14 8 0 0 14 8 Funder ASBGG and MFRS

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 MUGA (Friday x 6 sessions) 16 5 22 8 9 5 47 18 Funder West Wirral Constituency

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 New Ferry Park (Varied Nights x 7 sessions) 12 0 10 0 0 0 22 0 Funder South Wirral Constituency

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Woodlands Birkenhead (Saturday x 1 session) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Funder Birkenhead Constituency

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Leisure Centre (Sunday x 6 sessions) 18 22 20 19 26 33 64 74 Funder StreetGames Club1

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 OVAL Leisure Centre (Friday x 6 sessions) 25 0 25 0 12 0 62 0 Mid Wirral Crime Prevention Panel

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 GUINEA GAP (Friday x 3 sessions) 0 0 12 0 14 0 26 0 StreetGames DSC and Sport England

Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 TENNIS Centre (Friday x 6 sessions) 10 0 12 0 7 0 29 0 Funder Birkenhead Constituency

TOTAL 512

375 137

Total Attendance figures over Operation Banger 2016.

Colin Hunt MBE

Wirral Positive Futures Sports Development Unit Mobile: 07788 - 184681 / Phone: 0151 - 666 - 4374 Email: [email protected]