West Midlands Police’s ‘Next Generation’ Neighbourhood Policing plan − due for launch later this year − has been shaped with a focus on swift intervention and preventing harm.
Intervention & Prevention is key to the force’s plans and aims to stop crimes happening in the first place, identifying and nipping issues in the bud, and not simply responding to crimes after they’ve occurred.
Central to the approach is an Offender Management programme which sees the most prolific, habitual crooks assigned dedicated officers in a bid to break their crime cycle.
It may be next generation but it’s underpinned by a past generation Peelian principle of “offering the hand of friendship…even to those who don’t realise they need it".
Laura (not her real name) is one of thousands of offenders offered that hand of friendship.
The 30-year-old racked up 42 convictions for a total of 124 offences over 10 years − largely shoplifting to fuel a heroin addiction − and was ranked among Coventry’s most prolific thieves.
But with support from a West Midlands Police Offender manager she’s now turned her life around…and is set to take on a new role as a ‘Recovery Champion’ to help others create brighter futures for themselves.
Here’s her story…
I first started getting into trouble in about 2004 when I was 17 or 18. My partner at the time was into drugs…I’d like to say it was his fault but in fairness I kept on at him to let me have a try. One day I did − it was crack cocaine − and my life went downhill from there.
I’d get up early in the morning feeling ill and needing a hit. I’d be out by 9am to steal from shops. At first they’d be ones near me but when I started to get recognised I’d sometimes walk miles to places where staff didn’t know me.
I’d take a bag with me and wear a coat that tied round the bottom so I could load stuff inside. I’d steal meat, spirits, make-up, whatever people wanted really. Some things would be stolen to order but I’d sell other things down the pub. I’d also do trolley dashes and take plasma TVs…a mate would park by the fire exit and I’d kick it open and load the TVs inside the car.
People were trying to help me: I had regular meetings with the Community Drug Team (now the Recovery Partnership) and was on a CRASBO (Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order) to try and curb my offending.
It was during a CDT meeting that I found out I was pregnant. At first it didn’t change what I was doing − in fact I was told that if I came off heroin instantly then the shock to my system could trigger a miscarriage. I don’t know if that’s true.
But over the following few weeks I realised I wanted to keep my baby − it was a shock as I didn’t think I could have children − and in order to do that I needed to get clean and change my life. If I didn’t the baby may well not survive − but if I did give birth the child would have been immediately taken off me.
I breached a suspended prison sentence by shoplifting and was given 10-months inside. I knew what I was doing…I knew I would get support inside to help me get off drugs, away from outside influences, and that it would be easier to get support.
It was at that time Brenda (Brenda Pattinson, West Midlands Police) was assigned as my Offender manager. She’s been wicked; a huge help.
Brenda got maternity clothes from a clothes bank and kept in contact with me on email to update me on things like decisions made at Child Protection Order meetings; I was nervous about where I was going to live when I was eventually released.
I was on 40ml of methadone, then weaned off methadone altogether, and attended all parenting; I was determined not to go back to my old lifestyle.
I was released on 9 November 2015 and moved into a mother and baby lodge in Coventry. Brenda gave me a lot of attention over the next few months…I think she was worried I might get back in touch with old drug dealers and fall back in with a bad crowd.
I did have one hiccup…I smoked a bit of brown (heroin). I told my support worker, stressed it was a one-off and I was focused on my recovery. They gave me a second chance…I’ve not touched anything since.
Brenda urged me to stay positive, gave me lots of encouragement and kept telling me to focus on my baby and our future together − and not to jeopardise that as ultimately she could be taken away.
I was also worried about how I was going to afford baby clothes, nappies, that kind of thing. Brenda got in touch with a charity who gave me £150; she also wrote a list of all the things I needed as I didn’t really know! She also got hold of good quality second hand baby clothes, equipment and toys.
More support came from a group called Kairos − they help vulnerable women in Coventry and offer a ‘befriending’ service − plus a support worker to help with accommodation after my time with the mother and baby lodge. I also had a debt with a housing agency that I needed help managing.
I’ve now moved out of the lodge and am living independently with my baby. My ex-partner − the father of my child − is not on the scene or contributing financially but again Brenda has helped me apply to charities for money to buy furniture and other stuff for the house.
I’m a very different person to the one I was a year ago. It’s pretty scary at first but there is lots of support out there.
My advice to anyone who finds themselves in that spiral of drugs, crime and prison is to get help from the police, the Recovery Partnership, and charities. If I can do it anyone can.
I hope I’ve made Brenda proud!
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